Mumbai, Nov 10 (IANS): The Bombay High Court Wednesday rejected the bail application of Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, one of the prime accused in the Malegaon 2008 blast case, a legal official said.

Justice R.C. Chavhan, while rejecting the bail application on grounds that "prima facie material was available against" Purohit, said that a detailed order would be delivered soon, according to advocate Sharif Shaikh, an intervener appearing in the matter on behalf of family members of a victim in the blast.

"The state had opposed the bail plea stating that the investigations into the Malegaon blast was transferred from the state Anti-Terrorism Squad to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) vide a notification last April," Shaikh told IANS.

He said the grounds for opposing bail were since the NIA investigations are still continuing, granting bail to Purohit could hamper the ongoing probe into the terror incident in the minority-dominated town in Nashik district of north Maharashtra.

Prasad was among 11 accused in the blast case, including Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur.

Alleged to be linked to a right-wing organization, Purohit has been continuously in custody since his arrest for his role in the blast case.