All 7 Accused Acquitted in 2008 Malegaon Blast Case Due to Lack of Evidence

New Delhi – In a significant and long-awaited judgment, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit.

The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to convict the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Arms Act, and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Consequently, all charges were dropped, ending nearly 17 years of legal proceedings in the case.

The blast occurred on September 29, 2008, near Bhikku Chowk mosque in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. A bomb, allegedly strapped to a motorcycle, exploded during the holy month of Ramzan and just days before the Hindu festival of Navratri, killing six people and injuring more than 100.

Delivering the verdict in a packed courtroom, the special judge ordered a compensation of ₹2 lakh for the families of each of the deceased and ₹50,000 for every injured victim. The court noted that while the incident was a serious offense against society, conviction requires concrete legal evidence, not just moral or circumstantial reasoning.

The trial saw extensive legal proceedings, including the examination of 323 witnesses, of whom 34 turned hostile, severely weakening the prosecution’s case. The case file reportedly spanned over 100,000 pages.

Initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the case was later transferred to the NIA in 2011. In 2016, the NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet dropping charges against several accused, including Sadhvi Pragya, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to invoke stringent anti-terror laws.

The seven acquitted are:

• Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur
• Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit
• Retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay
• Sudhakar Chaturvedi
• Ajay Rahirkar
• Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi
• Sameer Kulkarni

All had been out on bail during the trial. They had faced serious allegations, including conspiracy, murder, and use of explosives under UAPA and IPC provisions.

In a strong statement during the verdict, the court observed, “Terrorism has no religion. No religion in the world preaches violence.” It further clarified that no substantial or credible evidence was found against the accused and added, “Storytelling or assumptions are not substitutes for hard evidence.”

The court said the prosecution failed to present legally admissible proof. Witnesses’ testimonies were either inconsistent or unconvincing. The judgment emphasized that justice must be based on fact and law—not on perception or speculation.

While acquitting the accused, the court granted liberty to law enforcement agencies to file a separate chargesheet against any absconding suspects, should new evidence emerge.

This ruling brings an end to one of India’s most politically and communally sensitive terror cases, which had drawn national attention and debate for over a decade.

Team Maverick.