A Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai delivered a landmark verdict, acquitting all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including former Bhopal BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and former Army officer Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit. The court, presided over by Special Judge A K Lahoti, ruled that the prosecution failed to substantiate charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act, and other provisions, granting the accused the benefit of doubt after a 17-year legal battle.
The explosion, which rocked the communally sensitive town of Malegaon, Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008, occurred during the holy month of Ramzan, just days before Navratri. It claimed six lives and injured over 100 people, sending shockwaves through the region. The motorcycle used in the blast was traced to Sadhvi Pragya, who was arrested in October 2008. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) alleged she was part of a conspiracy to target Muslim-majority areas as retaliation for earlier terror attacks.
Lt Col Purohit, then serving in the Indian Army’s Military Intelligence wing, faced accusations of supporting the radical Hindu group Abhinav Bharat by facilitating meetings and arranging explosives. The other acquitted individuals—Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sameer Kulkarni—were also implicated in the alleged plot. The prosecution’s case hinged on claims of a coordinated effort by the accused to orchestrate the attack, but the court found insufficient evidence to uphold the charges.
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The verdict marks the end of a contentious and prolonged legal process that has drawn significant public and political attention. For Pragya and Purohit, the acquittal brings closure to years of scrutiny and incarceration, though the case remains a sensitive chapter in India’s history, raising questions about communal tensions and investigative processes.
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