Nearly 17 years after a devastating blast rocked Malegaon in Maharashtra, killing six and injuring over 100, a special NIA court has acquitted all seven accused, including BJP MP Pragya Thakur and former Army officer Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit. The court cited lack of conclusive evidence and investigative discrepancies as the basis for the verdict.
The blast occurred on the night of September 29, 2008, during Ramzan, in the communally sensitive town of Malegaon near Bhikku Chowk. It was alleged that a motorcycle packed with RDX was used in the attack. Despite the gravity of the crime and public outrage at the time, the prosecution was unable to prove the chain of evidence linking the accused to the act.
Reacting strongly to the judgment, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the justice system and demanded to know: “Who killed the six people?” He called the verdict disappointing and blamed deliberate investigative lapses.
“The Malegaon blast case verdict is disappointing. Six namazis were killed and nearly 100 were injured — targeted for their religion. A deliberately shoddy investigation and prosecution are responsible for this acquittal,” Owaisi said.
He also questioned whether the Modi and Fadnavis governments would appeal the decision with the same urgency seen in the Mumbai train blasts acquittals, adding:
“Will Maharashtra’s secular political parties demand accountability? Will NIA and ATS officers be held responsible for their failure?”
Owaisi recalled key developments over the years, including statements by Rohini Salian, the then-special public prosecutor in the case. In 2016, she publicly alleged that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had instructed her to “go soft” on the accused. Owaisi also invoked the name of Hemant Karkare, the slain ATS chief who had initially uncovered the Malegaon conspiracy and was later killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
“Karkare uncovered the Malegaon plot and was killed by Pakistani terrorists. The same accused later became a Member of Parliament and claimed her curse led to Karkare’s death,” Owaisi said, referring to Pragya Thakur.
The court acquitted:
-
Pragya Thakur
-
Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit
-
Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay
-
Ajay Rahirkar
-
Sudhakar Dwivedi
-
Sudhakar Chaturvedi
-
Sameer Kulkarni
The prosecution did establish that the blast occurred, but the court noted several gaps:
-
No proof that RDX was stored or assembled by Lt Col Purohit.
-
No ownership records linking the motorcycle to Pragya Thakur.
-
Manipulation in medical records and custodial documents.
-
Overall lack of credible forensic or documentary evidence.
The court stated:
“Suspicion, however grave, cannot substitute for proof. Benefit of doubt must go to the accused.”
Owaisi concluded by asking if there would be any repercussions for the investigative failures:
“This is the ‘tough on terror’ Modi government. The world must remember that a terror accused was elected to Parliament.”
