'Torture by Congress caused life-long pain': Malegaon blast accused Pragya Thakur posts photo of swollen face

Mumbai: Pragya Singh Thakur, prime accused in 2008 Malegaon blast case, on Thursday posted a photo of her swollen face on social media, stating that "torture of Congress" caused lifelong "fatal pain" and that she will attend court if she remains alive.

She posted the photo two days after a special court conducting the trial in the Malegaon blast case issued a bailable warrant against the former BJP MP from Bhopal for not attending hearings.

Thakur and six others are facing a trial in the case for their alleged involvement in the explosion.

While issuing the bailable warrant of Rs 10,000, special court judge A K Lahoti on Tuesday noted that final arguments in the case are going on and the presence of the accused is necessary. The warrant is returnable by November 13, which means Thakur will have to appear before the court by then and get it cancelled.

Thakur, in a post written in Hindi on her X handle, said the torture of Congress was not limited to her Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) custody but became the cause of fatal pain for her throughout her life.

"Swelling in the brain, poor vision, impairment in hearing, imbalance in speech, swelling in the entire body due to steroids and neuro medicines. I am undergoing treatment in a hospital. If I remain alive, I will surely go to court," read her post which carries the photo of her swollen face.

Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town in north Maharashtra about 200 km from Mumbai, on September 29, 2008.

The ATS, which initially probed the case, had arrested Thakur for her alleged role in the case following the incident. She was granted bail on the medical grounds in 2017 by the Bombay High Court after spending over eight years in jail.

Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and five others are on trial for alleged involvement in the blast conspiracy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra ATS before being transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011.

The trial in the case is in its final stretch as the court as present is recording the final statements of the accused.