 "Special NIA court acquits all 7 accused in 2008 Malegaon blast case")
After nearly 17 years, a Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, news agency PTI reported. The court stated that the prosecution had failed to prove the case and that the accused deserved the benefit of the doubt.
On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and several others injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon city, Nashik.
The accused faced trial for offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code. Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sameer Kulkarni were the other accused in the case.
Thakur stated that the court’s acquittal was not just a personal victory but a win for 'bhagwa' (saffron). "My life has been ruined for the past seventeen years; God will punish those who tried to insult 'bhagwa'," she added.
The accused had also faced charges of committing a terrorist act under the UAPA, along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.
Special Judge AK Lahoti observed that there was no "reliable and cogent" evidence to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The court further held that the provisions of the UAPA did not apply to the case.
The court noted that the chassis number of the motorcycle allegedly used in the blast had been wiped out, and there was no reliable evidence to prove that Thakur owned the vehicle. The judge added that the prosecution had failed to prove that the bomb was planted in the motorcycle recovered from the scene.
The prosecution had claimed that the explosion was plotted by right-wing extremists with the objective of instilling fear within the local Muslim community.