August 2012 Pune bomb blasts: HC rejects bail plea of Munib Memon

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court has rejected the bail plea of Munib Memon (38), one of the nine accused arrested for his alleged role in the conspiracy to trigger four bomb blasts on the Jangli Maharaj Road in Pune in August 2012.

A bench of justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sharmila Deshmukh said Memon’s complicity in the conspiracy was evident from confessional statements of three other accused in the case and turned down the argument that he had been in custody for a long time. The bench said charges have been framed against the accused on May 25, 2022 and the prosecution intends to examine 107 witnesses to bring home the guilt of the nine accused.

Four low-intensity bombs, placed on bicycle baskets, went off near prominent spots along Jangli Maharaj Road, a prominent business area within Pune city, on August 1, 2012, and the fifth bomb was diffused. A local resident, who picked up a bag containing one of the four bombs, suffered minor injuries after he opened the bag.

“Having regard to the gravity of the offence, the role of the appellant, the evidence qua him and above observations made by us, we also decline to consider the appellant’s plea for bail on the ground of delay in commencement of the trial,” said the bench.

The court, however, directed the trial court to conclude the trial by December 2023, keeping with the right of the accused to a speedy trial.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which initially investigated the case before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case, arrested nine people, including Memon. ATS alleged that the blasts were planned to avenge the death of Quatil Siddique, a member of Indian Mujahideen, who was arrested for conspiracy to trigger a blast at a temple in Pune and was killed in Yerawada jail by two other inmates.

ATS said the accused initially planned to kill Sharad Mohol and Alok Bhalerao, the two men suspected to have killed Siddique when they were brought to court, but when the plan did not succeed. They later decided to carry out bomb attacks.

To be sure, Sharad Mohol and Alok Bhalerao were acquitted of the murder charge in June 2019.

In his request for bail, Munib Memon argued that he was made an accused only because he was employed with Firoz Sayyed, another accused in the case and the prosecution only accused him of getting some SIM cards on the basis of bogus documents prepared by another co-accused.

He also said that he had already spent 9 years and 9 months in jail.

Special public prosecutor Vaibhav Bagade, appearing for NIA, contended that Memon was present at a meeting where the attack was discussed and was entrusted the job of obtaining some SIM cards on the basis of bogus documents. The SIM cards were used in the commission of the crime.