MUMBAI: Nineteen years after serial blasts left 31 dead in Malegaon, a special court Tuesday framed charges against four accused, paving the way for the trial to commence. The accused — Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh, Rajendra Chaudhary and Manohar Narwaria — pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal conspiracy, murder and terror related charges under the UAPA. The matter will come up for hearing Oct 29. In 2016, nine Muslim men arrested in the case were proved to be innocent and discharged. They were arrested by the first investigating authority, the ATS, in 2006. Subsequently, NIA took over investigations. The four accused were arrested after the NIA alleged that the bombings were the doing of their group. In 2007, a case was registered in the Mecca Masjid bomb blast. In that case,

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