Malegaon Verdict: Court Dismisses Claim of RSS Chief’s Arrest Order

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai has rejected claims by a former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer, Mehboob Mujawar, that he was ordered to arrest Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat in connection with the September 2008 Malegaon bomb blast. The ruling came as part of a landmark judgment acquitting all seven accused in the high-profile case, which killed six people and injured over 100 when a motorcycle bomb detonated in the textile town of Malegaon, Maharashtra.

In a detailed 1,000-page verdict, Special NIA Judge A.K. Lahoti dismissed the defense’s reliance on Mujawar’s allegations, which were raised by advocate J.P. Mishra representing accused Sudhakar Dwivedi, alias Dayanand Pandey. Mujawar, who reiterated his claims on Thursday, alleged that senior ATS officers instructed him to apprehend Bhagwat to push a “saffron terror” narrative, a term used to link Hindu nationalist groups to terrorism. He claimed he refused to comply, citing the illegality of the orders and lack of evidence against Bhagwat.

The court, however, found no merit in these assertions, citing a statement by then-chief investigating officer ACP Mohan Kulkarni. Kulkarni clarified that Mujawar was tasked solely with tracing two absconding suspects, Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange, and was never directed to arrest any RSS members, including Bhagwat. “The contentions lack force,” Judge Lahoti stated, effectively debunking the defense’s attempt to frame the investigation as politically motivated.

Also Read: Ex-ATS Officer Alleges Plot to Frame RSS Chief in Malegaon Blast

The Malegaon blast case, initially probed by the ATS under Hemant Karkare, saw significant controversy over allegations of Hindu nationalist involvement. The investigation was later transferred to the NIA in 2011. Key accused, including Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, were acquitted alongside Dwivedi, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Rakesh Dhawade, and Jagdish Mhatre, due to insufficient evidence. The NIA had argued that the accused conspired to carry out the bombing to target the Muslim-majority area, but the court found the prosecution’s case lacking in concrete proof.

Mujawar’s claims, first made public in 2018, have long stirred political debate, with right-wing groups alleging the ATS fabricated a “saffron terror” narrative to malign Hindu organizations. The court’s rejection of these claims has reignited discussions about the impartiality of terror investigations. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, commenting on X, called the verdict a “vindication of truth,” accusing past governments of “politicizing terror probes.”

The acquittal closes a contentious chapter in the 17-year-old case, but questions linger about the unresolved pursuit of Kalsangra and Dange, who remain at large. The ruling also underscores the judiciary’s role in scrutinizing unverified claims, ensuring that allegations of high-profile arrests, like that of Bhagwat, are not taken at face value without evidence.

Also Read: Jubilation in Pune as Right-Wing Group Hails Malegaon Acquittal