JUDGE ORDERS FRAMING OF CHARGES AGAINST MARGAO BOMB BLAST ACCUSED

MARGAO: Special judge U V Bakre on Monday ordered framing of charges against accused Prashant Ashtekar and Prashant Zuvekar in connection with the 2009 Margao bomb blast case.  Bakre also ordered additional charges to be framed against co-accused Vinayak Patil for forging documents. The court is likely to hear the accused on March 9.

Earlier, special public prosecutor S B Faria told the court that there is prima facie evidence against the three. He alleged they were involved in the conspiracy of the blast.

Explaining the role of two of the accused, Faria alleged Ashtekar had tried to destroy evidence, while Patil had forged documents to obtain SIM cards which were used to communicate in the course of their plan to trigger the bomb.

The national investigation agency (NIA) had filed a common chargesheet in May last year and had named 11 persons as accused. Subsequently, Ashtekar had surrendered before the court and Zuvekar was arrested by the ATS at Bhusawal.

Of the 11 accused, Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik died in the blast at Margao. Vinay Talekar, Vinayak Patil, Dhananjay Ashtekar, Dilip Mangaonkar, Prashant Ashtekar and Prashant Zuvekar are facing trial.  Three accused Jaiprakash alias Anna, Rudra Patil and Sarang Kulkarni are still absconding.