<p class="title">A group of journalists from Mumbai on Monday filed an intervention application before a special court here opposing the NIA's plea to conduct an 'in-camera' trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.</p>.<p class="bodytext">An in-camera hearing is conducted in private with only the judge, lawyers and parties concerned in attendance. The proceedings of such a hearing are not made known to the media or members of the public.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Last week, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is the prosecuting body, sought the in-camera hearing, arguing it was the sensitive case, and such private hearing was essential to ensure the safety of the 38 witnesses it wished to examine.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The NIA said the allegations in the case pertained to a blast in an area "dominated by a particular community", and therefore, making details of the hearing public might create tension.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However, on Monday, 11 journalists from various newspapers and TV channels in Mumbai filed their application, opposing NIA's request.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In their plea filed through advocates Rizwan Merchant and Gayatri Gokhale, the journalists said barring them from attending the hearing in the case would amount to a breach of their right to report and disseminate important information among the public.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They said such a "gag" order would also amount to the breach of one's constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Judge Vinod Padalkar of the special court admitted the plea and said in the interest of justice and fair hearing, the NIA must respond to the plea on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On September 29, 2008, a bomb attached to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon town of Maharashtra's Nashik district, killed six people and injuring 100 others.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lt Col Prasad Purohit and BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur are among those accused in the case.</p>
<p class="title">A group of journalists from Mumbai on Monday filed an intervention application before a special court here opposing the NIA's plea to conduct an 'in-camera' trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.</p>.<p class="bodytext">An in-camera hearing is conducted in private with only the judge, lawyers and parties concerned in attendance. The proceedings of such a hearing are not made known to the media or members of the public.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Last week, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is the prosecuting body, sought the in-camera hearing, arguing it was the sensitive case, and such private hearing was essential to ensure the safety of the 38 witnesses it wished to examine.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The NIA said the allegations in the case pertained to a blast in an area "dominated by a particular community", and therefore, making details of the hearing public might create tension.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However, on Monday, 11 journalists from various newspapers and TV channels in Mumbai filed their application, opposing NIA's request.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In their plea filed through advocates Rizwan Merchant and Gayatri Gokhale, the journalists said barring them from attending the hearing in the case would amount to a breach of their right to report and disseminate important information among the public.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They said such a "gag" order would also amount to the breach of one's constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Judge Vinod Padalkar of the special court admitted the plea and said in the interest of justice and fair hearing, the NIA must respond to the plea on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On September 29, 2008, a bomb attached to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon town of Maharashtra's Nashik district, killed six people and injuring 100 others.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lt Col Prasad Purohit and BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur are among those accused in the case.</p>