Sadhvi Pragya Thakur Acquitted in Malegaon Blast Case After 17 Years

A special NIA court delivered its verdict today in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The blast resulted in the deaths of six people and injuries to over 100.

Pragya Thakur Acquitted in 2008 Malegaon Blast Case: A Mumbai-based NIA court delivered its verdict on Thursday in the Malegaon bomb blast case of 29 September 2008, in Maharashtra. The blast, which occurred at Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon, resulted in six deaths and over 100 injuries. After 17 years, the court acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit. The court cited lapses in the investigation and a lack of concrete evidence to prove the charges, stating that no one can be convicted based on mere suspicion. Even the motorcycle allegedly used in the blast was not linked to Pragya Singh Thakur.

Court's Statement

Special Judge A K Lahoti remarked that the prosecution failed to present any ‘concrete evidence’, leading the court to acquit all accused, giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Regarding the charges against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, the court stated that the prosecution failed to prove that the motorcycle allegedly used to carry the bomb belonged to her. The judge noted that forensic experts could not fully recover the two-wheeler's chassis number, preventing the prosecution from definitively establishing its ownership. Furthermore, the court observed that Pragya Singh Thakur had renounced worldly possessions and taken monastic vows two years before the blast.

Concerning the charges against Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, the court found no evidence to suggest his involvement in procuring RDX from Kashmir or assembling the bomb.

The special court examined over 300 witnesses in this case, with more than 40 retracting their statements. Seven individuals were accused, including Pragya Singh Thakur, a former BJP MP from Bhopal. Besides Pragya Singh Thakur, the accused were Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retired), Ajay Raherkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Samir Kulkarni. All are currently out on bail.

The blast near a mosque in Malegaon, approximately 200 kilometres from Mumbai in northern Maharashtra, on 29 September 2008, killed six and injured over 100. The Maharashtra ATS initially investigated the case, led by then-ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who was martyred in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks before the Malegaon blast investigation could be concluded. The case was later handed over to the NIA.