A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The court said the prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt and cited several lapses in investigation and evidence.

Court Finds No Reliable or Cogent Evidence

Special Judge A K Lahoti delivered the verdict in the high-profile case, which involved a blast near a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. The explosion killed six people and injured over 100. The judge said the evidence did not prove that the accused committed any terrorist act.

The court ruled that the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were not applicable.

The court also ruled that investigators failed to link the motorbike allegedly used in the blast to Pragya Singh Thakur and did not provide conclusive proof that anyone had planted the explosive on the bike.

Key Accused Walk Free After 15-Year Trial

The accused included Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Purohit, Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Sudhakar Dwivedi, and Sameer Kulkarni. All were out on bail and appeared in court amid heavy security.

Authorities charged the accused under the Indian Penal Code, UAPA, and Arms Act for criminal conspiracy and murder. The prosecution alleged that right-wing extremists had planned the attack to target the local Muslim population.

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Court Lists Major Loopholes in Investigation

The court released a 1000-page judgment outlining major flaws:

• No evidence linking the blast to Purohit’s residence or him making the bomb
• Faulty site documentation and contaminated evidence from the blast location
• No proof the bike was owned or used by Thakur
• Call interceptions lacked legal authorisation
• Witnesses to alleged planning meetings in Faridabad and Bhopal turned hostile
• Voice samples and financial records were deemed unreliable
• Sanction orders for prosecution were defective

The court concluded that suspicion alone cannot lead to conviction and granted the accused the benefit of the doubt.

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