Malegaon accused Sadhvi Pragnya hospitalised

Mumbai, March 26 (IANS) Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur, one of the 11 accused in last year's Malegaon bombing, was rushed to the Sir J.J. Hospital here Thursday evening for certain medical emergencies, her lawyer said.

'She has developed weakness and at least eight clots on her arm, right side of the chest and other parts. She may undergo a surgery if required,' Ganesh Sovani, representing Sadhvi Pragnya, told IANS.

The development follows an appeal by Sovani in the afternoon before the Special Judge Y.D. Shinde of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Court.

In the appeal, Sovani contended that ever since she was lodged in the Byculla Central Jail for the Sep 29, 2008 Malegaon blast case, the Sadhvi has been served with low quality food.

On one occasion, early this month, she saw a raw egg mixed with some vegetables which killed her appetite. Consequently, she was on a liquid diet and had become very weak, developed rashes and had been hospitalised for five days early March, he said.

Even after being discharged from the hospital, she had not regained her original health and developed clots in her body, necessitating hospitalisation, the counsel said.

Allowing the appeal, Judge Shinde permitted her to be taken to hospital and also granted her the facility to have home-cooked food while in custody.

Sadhvi Pragnya and 10 others was arrested in October last year for their alleged involvement in the Malegaon blast, which left six people dead and at least 10 injured.

In January this year, the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had slapped the MCOCA on all the accused.