Noting that prosecution witnesses in the 2008 Malegaon blast case are turning hostile, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said the lawyers of the state ATS would attend the ongoing trial before the special NIA court.

The case had been initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took it over. “Recently some witnesses have turned hostile…we will have our lawyers present in the court during the hearing from now on,” Walse Patil told reporters. The Additional Chief Secretary (Home) would communicate with the central agency on this, he added. Earlier this week, state Congress working president and former Minister of State for Home Naseem Khan had met additional director general of police Vineet Agarwal who heads the ATS over the issue.