2008 Malegaon blast: Ex-BJP MP Pragya Thakur, 6 others acquitted due to lack of proof

Mumbai, July 31: A special court, on Thursday, acquitted all the seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, in the September 2008 Malegaon blast case in which six persons were killed and 101 others injured.

Special Judge A K Lahoti, assigned to hear cases of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), flagged several loopholes in the prosecution's case and the investigation carried out, and said the accused persons deserved the benefit of doubt.

The accused in the case comprised Thakur, Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni.

Six persons were killed and more than 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in the Malegaon town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, on September 29, 2008.

The judge, while reading out the judgment, said there was no "reliable and cogent" evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were not applicable to the case, the court said.

The court also said it was not established that the motorbike used in the blast was registered in the name of Thakur, as claimed by the prosecution.

Earlier in the morning, the seven accused, all out on bail, arrived at the sessions court in south Mumbai which was barricaded with heavy security.

They all were charged for committing a terrorist act under provisions of the UAPA and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.

The prosecution's claim was that the blast was orchestrated by right wing extremists with an intention to terrorise the local Muslim community.

On the night of September 29, 2008, a low-intensity bomb fitted to a motorcycle exploded near Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon, sparking panic in the communally sensitive town. The blast occurred during Ramzan, just ahead of Navratri.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), then led by Hemant Karkare, launched an investigation that led to the arrest of individuals linked to Hindu right-wing groups — a development that brought the controversial term "Hindu terror" into political discourse.

Among those arrested was former BJP MP Thakur. Investigators alleged that her motorcycle was used in the attack and claimed she was actively involved in the planning.

With inputs from PTI