New Delhi, May 5 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Maharashtra government's response on a bail plea by a Malegaon bomb blast accused challenging the Bombay High Court's refusal to give him bail.

A bench of the apex court gave the Maharashtra government four weeks time to respond.

The Bombay High Court on April 25, while granting bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, rejected former Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit's plea.

At least six persons were killed in the blast in Malegaon town in Nashik district on September 29, 2008.

The investigating agencies had attributed the blast to right-wing group Abhinav Bharat. Eleven people, including Sadhvi and Purohit, were arrested.

The National Investigation Agency, which probed the case, gave a clean chit to Sadhvi Pragya but said the charges against Purohit were of serious and grave nature.

The NIA contended there was evidence pointing to Purohit's involvement in the blast.