Sadhvi Pragya, Six Others Acquitted in 2008 Malegaon Blast Case After 17-Year Trial

A special NIA court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all six accused, including former BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and former Army officer Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, citing lack of evidence and procedural lapses under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Delivering the verdict 17 years after the blast that killed six and injured over 100 in the communally sensitive town of Malegaon, the court observed that no conspiracy or planning meetings could be conclusively proven. Suspicion is not enough for conviction, the judge said, adding that the UAPA provisions invoked in the case were defective and invalid.

The court also noted that four different agencies had investigated the case over the years, and a total of 323 witnesses were examined during the trial. The verdict comes after a prolonged legal process that began with the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and was later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011.

The blast occurred on Sept. 29, 2008, when a low-intensity explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon. The case gained national attention after the arrest of individuals allegedly linked to Hindu right-wing groups, sparking political controversy and coining the term “Hindu terror.”

The trial formally began in 2018, and the court’s ruling today brings closure to one of India’s most politically sensitive terror cases.