Mumbai : In a landmark verdict on Thursday, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, citing lack of evidence.
The court observed that there was no proof that Pragya Thakur owned the motorcycle used in the blast, and no concrete evidence that Col Purohit was involved in making the bomb. The verdict comes 17 years after the deadly explosion, which killed six people and injured over 100 in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Maharashtra.
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Court: “Prosecution Failed to Prove Charges”
Special Judge A.K. Lahoti, while delivering the judgment, stated that the prosecution failed to establish the accused’s direct involvement in the conspiracy or execution of the blast. “There is no credible evidence that Lt Col Purohit manufactured the bomb or that Pragya Thakur had ownership or knowledge of the motorcycle allegedly used,” the judge noted.
The motorcycle, registered in Thakur’s name, was found at the blast site, but the court ruled that mere registration does not establish guilt without supporting evidence.
A Case That Drew National Attention
The Malegaon blast case has been one of the most high-profile terror cases in India, attracting widespread political and public attention due to the involvement of individuals linked to the armed forces and right-wing organizations.
The case had undergone multiple changes in investigation teams—from the Maharashtra ATS to the NIA—and had seen years of legal battles, bail hearings, and political debates.
