AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has called the verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case “disappointing” after a special NIA court acquitted all seven accused, including BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit. Owaisi questioned whether the BJP-led central and Maharashtra governments would challenge the acquittals, just as they had swiftly acted to oppose acquittals in the 2006 Mumbai train blast case.
Taking to social media platform X, Owaisi expressed deep concern over the outcome. “The Malegaon blast case verdict is disappointing. Six namazis were killed in the blast and nearly 100 were injured. They were targeted for their religion. A deliberately shoddy investigation/prosecution is responsible for the acquittal,” he said.
He pointed out that it took 17 years for the court to reach a decision, only to find all accused not guilty due to lack of evidence. “Will the Modi & Fadnavis governments appeal the judgement the way they swiftly demanded stay in the Mumbai train blasts acquittals? Will Maharashtra’s ‘secular’ political parties demand accountability? Who killed the 6 people?” he asked.
Owaisi also recalled a 2016 revelation by former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian, who claimed that the NIA had instructed her to “go soft” on the accused in the Malegaon case. “Remember, in 2017, NIA had tried to get Sadhvi Pragya acquitted. The same person would go on to be a BJP MP in 2019,” he wrote.
He also mentioned the role of former ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who had led the investigation into the blast and was later killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. “Karkare had uncovered the conspiracy in Malegaon & was unfortunately killed by Pakistani terrorists. The BJP MP went on record saying that she had cursed him and his death was a consequence of her curse,” said Owaisi, referring to Sadhvi Pragya.
He concluded by questioning whether officers from the NIA and ATS would ever be held responsible for their flawed investigation. “I think we know the answer. This is the ‘tough on terror’ Modi government. The world will remember that it made a terror accused a Member of Parliament,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the NIA court ruled that there was not enough evidence to convict the accused under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Arms Act, or the Indian Penal Code, leading to their complete acquittal.
