Nearly 17 years after a deadly blast rocked Malegaon town in Maharashtra, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and former army officer Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, citing lack of credible evidence.
What Happened in 2008?
On September 29, 2008, a powerful bomb exploded near Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Nashik district. The explosion, which occurred during the holy month of Ramzan and ahead of Navratri, killed six people and injured around 95 others (earlier reported as 101).
Investigators initially claimed that the explosive device was strapped to a motorcycle found at the scene, allegedly linked to Pragya Thakur.
The Accused
Seven people stood trial in the case:
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Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP MP from Bhopal
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Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, serving officer with Military Intelligence at the time
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Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay
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Ajay Rahirkar
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Sudhakar Dwivedi
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Sudhakar Chaturvedi
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Sameer Kulkarni
They were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including conspiracy, murder, and promoting communal hatred.
The Verdict
Delivering the long-awaited verdict, Special Judge A.K. Lahoti stated that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient and reliable evidence to convict the accused. While the court acknowledged that a blast did occur and caused fatalities, it emphasized that key links between the accused and the crime were not conclusively proven.
“Suspicion, however strong, cannot substitute for legal proof,” the court observed.
Key Observations from the Judgment
Motorcycle Ownership in Doubt: The prosecution failed to prove that the motorcycle used in the blast belonged to Pragya Thakur. Its chassis number had been wiped out, and the engine number was unreadable.
No Forensic Trail: Investigators failed to collect fingerprints, mobile dump data, or uncontaminated samples from the blast site. The site was not properly secured post-blast, further weakening the evidence.
No Proof Against Purohit: The court found no credible evidence that Lt Col Purohit had stored or transported RDX, or had any role in assembling the bomb.
Defective UAPA Sanctions: Both sanction orders under UAPA were deemed defective, rendering them legally unusable.
A Trial Marked by Twists and Turns
The Malegaon blast investigation began with the Maharashtra ATS, led then by late Hemant Karkare, who was later martyred in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The case was transferred to the NIA in 2011.
In 2016, the NIA dropped charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) due to lack of evidence but retained UAPA and IPC charges.
The trial formally began in December 2018. It spanned over seven years, saw five different judges, examined 323 prosecution witnesses (of which 37 turned hostile), eight defence witnesses, and over 10,800 documents.
In 2015, then-special public prosecutor Rohini Salian made headlines by alleging that the NIA asked her to “go soft” on the accused. This allegation intensified public scrutiny and led to significant legal and political debate.
Defence and Prosecution Arguments
The prosecution alleged the accused were part of a larger extremist group, Abhinav Bharat, which had planned the Malegaon blast as part of a conspiracy to avenge perceived atrocities against Hindus and to further the idea of a “Hindu Rashtra.”
Defence teams strongly denied the claims, stating their clients were victims of a politically motivated witch-hunt. They argued that evidence was either planted or manipulated, and that the investigation was riddled with procedural lapses.
Reactions After the Verdict
Reacting to the verdict, Pragya Thakur, visibly emotional, said:
“I was living a peaceful life as a Sanyasi. My entire life was destroyed by these false allegations. But truth has finally prevailed.”
All seven accused, who were out on bail, were present in the courtroom as Judge Lahoti delivered the judgment. No further legal action is expected unless the government appeals the acquittal.
A Long and Winding Road
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October 2008: First arrests made by Maharashtra ATS
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2011: Investigation transferred to NIA
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2016: NIA drops MCOCA, seeks discharge for Thakur
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2018: Trial begins under UAPA and IPC
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2025: Final verdict delivered after 7 years of trial