• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

The Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused of the bomb blast that took place in Malegaon in 2008. The list of accused also included the names of former BJP MP Pragya Thakur and former army officer Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Srikant Purohit.

The special NIA court said in its decision that the prosecution was unable to prove the charges levelled against them, hence the accused have the right to get the benefit of doubt.

Special Judge AK Lahoti said that the prosecution failed to prove that the motorcycle used during the attack belonged to Pragya Thakur, as the engine number was not clear and the chassis number was erased. The Special Court concluded that terrorism has no religion, but no one can be held guilty based on an allegation.

Malegaon Blast Case: All You Need To Know

On September 28, 2008, a huge blast occurred in the month of Ramadan in a Muslim dominated area of Malegaon. It was reported that about 6 people were killed and more than a hundred people were injured in the blast. However, the special court of NIA confirmed that 95 people were injured in the attack, and there was also a suspicion of tampering with the medical certificates.

According to a report in The Indian Express, this blast was done to incite communal violence as it was the sacred month of Ramdan during which Muslims observe fast, and Navratri was about to start after that. The investigation was handed over from the local police to the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS).

What ATS Revealed?

The ATS investigation revealed that the improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in the LML Freedom motorcycle, which caused the blast. The investigation revealed that the registration number of the motorcycle was fake, and the chassis number and engine number had also been erased. After which the motorcycle was sent to the forensic lab for restoring evidence, where it was found that the motorcycle belonged to Pragya Singh Thakur and she was arrested on October 23, 2008. After interrogation, the ATC also arrested other people under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA).

After the case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency in 2011, the other accused approached the courts challenging the MCOCA charges against them, under which their confessional statements were recorded.

By filing a supplementary chargesheet in 2016, NIA dropped all MCOCA charges against 11 accused and said that the manner in which MCOCA was used by ATS was suspicious.

In its investigation, NIA found that there was evidence against only 7 out of 11 accused and also pointed out several loopholes in the evidence produced by ATS against Pragya Thakur.

NIA said in its report that though the motorcycle was in the name of Pragya Thakur, it was being used by Ramchandra Kalsangra, who is an absconding accused.

NIA’s Suggestion to Court

The NIA sought to remove Pragya Singh Thakur from the accused list, but the special court refused to accept that she had nothing to do with the blast.

The court accepted the NIA's contention that MCOCA law does not apply in this case. However, the court ruled that the trial against seven accused, including Sadhvi Thakur, Prasad Purohit, will continue under UAPA, IPC and the Explosive Substances Act.

Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Shyamlal Sahu and Praveen Takalki were acquitted due to a lack of evidence. At the same time, two other accused, Rakesh Dhavade and Jagdish Mhatre, will now be tried only under the Arms Act.

Malegaon Blast Case: Trial In NIA Court

A special court in Mumbai tried seven accused. The trial began in 2018 and ended on April 19, 2025, after which the court reserved its verdict. The accused have been charged with committing a terrorist act (Section 16) and conspiracy (Section 18) under the UAPA.

Apart from this, they have also been charged with IPC sections like criminal conspiracy (120-B), murder (302), attempt to murder (307), causing hurt (324), and spreading enmity between two religious groups (153-A).

According to PTI, the NIA said in its final argument that the aim of the Malegaon blast conspiracy was to spread fear among a section of the Muslim community, disrupt essential services, increase communal tension and endanger the internal security of the state.