New Delhi: The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Centre, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Maharashtra government seeking their responses on a petition challenging the removal of the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case and allegations that she was pressured to "go soft" on the accused.
A bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre asked the Centre and the NIA to file their responses within one week.
The bench, however, did not allow the submission of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaising that hearing on the bail applications of the accused be stayed for the time being.
The plea, filed by activist Harsh Mander, accuses the NDA government of pressuring erstwhile
Special Public Prosecutor in the case, Rohini Salian, It also alleges that the "Executive was attempting to influence the judicial system." It also claims that NIA officials had pressured Ms Salian, "presumably" after instructions from their "political masters".
Ms Salian, who was the SPP in the case, had alleged that an NIA officer had told her to "go soft" on the accused. She also claimed that the same officer had told her that she would be replaced. Ms Salian is no longer on the NIA's panel of lawyers.
The petition wants the court to order a Special Investigating Team of the CBI to probe the allegations.
The high-profile accused in the case include Lt Col S P Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.
The 4,000-page charge sheet had alleged that Malegaon was selected for the blasts because of its sizeable Muslim population. It named Pragya Singh Thakur, Col Purohit and another accused, Swami Dayanand Pandey, as key conspirators
The blast on September 29, 2008 had left four dead and nearly 80 injured.