Malegaon blast victims request judge's tenure extension

The victims of the 2008 Malegaon blast are asking for the current judge, AK Lahoti, to stay on longer. He is overseeing the trial at the City Civil and Sessions Court in Mumbai. Their advocate, Shahid Nadeem, wrote a letter to the chief justice of the Bombay High Court. He expressed concern that the judge might be transferred soon, which could delay the trial's conclusion. The trial is nearing its end, with defense lawyers presenting their final arguments. The blast occurred on September 29, 2008, killing six people and injuring nearly one hundred. The victims fear that a new judge would need time to understand the large amount of evidence, which includes thousands of pages. In the letter, the victims praised Judge Lahoti for conducting the trial with dignity, despite external pressures from some accused individuals. They are asking for the judge to stay in his position until the trial is fully resolved. The special court runs hearings for the Malegaon blast case every day.