Spl court judge transferred before 2008 Malegaon blast verdict

Mumbai: A.K. Lahoti, a judge in a special NIA court hearing the 2008 Malegaon (Maharashtra) blast case, has been named in the Bombay High Court's transfer list of district judges. The Bombay High Court's general transfer list shows that Lahoti has been transferred from a Mumbai court to Nashik.

Over 200 district judges' names are included in the transfer list.

The judges have been instructed to assume office on June 9.

Earlier, the lawyer representing the families of the Malegaon blast victims had earlier written to the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, seeking his intervention to retain A.K. Lahoti in Mumbai, IANS reported.

On March 20, Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe's intervention was sought in a letter which underlined that the arguments in the blast case are almost over.

"The present letter is a sincere request on behalf of the victims to retain the Hon'ble Special Judge Shri A K Lahoti at the Hon'ble City Civil and Sessions Court for Greater Bombay, in Mumbai," the letter written by the lawyer read.

"It is a matter of practice that Hon'ble Addl. Sessions Judges are posted to one Sessions Division or Station for a period of 2 to 3 years. AK Lahoti has been posted to the Hon'ble City Civil and Sessions Court for Greater Bombay, Mumbai, since June 2022. As such, he shall complete 3 years of his tenure at Bombay (Mumbai) in the coming months," it added.

It was also mentioned in the letter that the families of the victims were apprehensive about Lahoti's transfer.

"The victims are apprehensive that he may be transferred to another station during the upcoming Annual General Transfers without concluding the trial," the letter read.

On September 29, 2008, six persons were killed, and many others injured when an explosive device planted on a two-wheeler was detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City.

The blast case was initially investigated by the Maharashtra ATS. It was later transferred to the NIA in 2011.