A National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai on Wednesday directed Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Thakur to appear for hearings whenever summoned in relation to the 2008 Malegaon blast case, ANI reported.

Thakur had last appeared in court in January and has skipped multiple hearings of the case since then, according to PTI. The Bhopal MP had cited her ill health for not appearing in the court.

However, on two separate occasions, she had been spotted playing basketball and dancing at a wedding.

In June 2019, the NIA court had rejected Thakur’s plea seeking permanent exemption from appearing for hearings in the case.

Six people were killed and 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon in north Maharashtra on September 29, 2008. The motorcycle was registered in Thakur’s name, according to the police.

Seven persons, including Thakur, are facing trial in the case. Apart from Thakur, the other accused are Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit, Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi.

They have been charged under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code, including murder.