A special NIA court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The court said there was not enough evidence to prove their involvement, and pointed out several mistakes in the investigation process.
The blast took place on September 29, 2008, in Malegaon, Maharashtra. It killed six people and injured over 100 others. The case gained national attention because of its political and religious angle. After almost 17 years, the court finally gave its verdict.
The judge said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond doubt that the motorcycle used in the blast belonged to Pragya Thakur. The court also noted that there was no proof that Lt Col Purohit had kept explosives like RDX at his house.
Several problems were found with the investigation. The spot inspection report was not properly prepared. While the bike’s chassis number matched the one owned by Pragya Thakur, the court said that this alone wasn’t enough to prove she was guilty. There was also no clear evidence of any secret meetings, and voice tests were not done properly.
The accused were charged under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code, including terrorism, conspiracy, and murder. Along with Pragya Thakur and Purohit, the other accused were Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sameer Kulkarni.
The case was first investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), and later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011. The trial began in 2018 and ended in April 2025.
The NIA had argued that the blast was part of a plan to spread fear among the Muslim community in Malegaon, which has a large Muslim population. They said it happened during Ramadan and just before Navratri, suggesting the aim was to create religious tension.
The NIA claimed they had strong and reliable evidence to prove the accused were involved in planning and carrying out the blast. However, the court said the evidence was not strong enough. Out of 323 witnesses presented by the prosecution, 37 turned hostile during the trial.
As a result, the court acquitted all seven accused due to lack of clear and convincing evidence.
