Malegaon Blast Verdict After 17 Years: All Accused Including Sadhvi Pragya And Lt Col Purohit Acquitted

Malegaon blast verdict: A special NIA court today acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Pragya Singh Thakur at the Parliament House. (PHOTO: ANI)

In a significant development almost 17 years after a devastating bomb blast, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai today acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Among those exonerated are former BJP MP Pragya Thakur and former army officer Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit.

The accused have been acquitted of all charges, including those under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Arms Act, and other sections of the Indian Penal Code. The court cited insufficient evidence and lapses in the investigation as reasons for the acquittals, noting issues such as defective sanction orders for UAPA, contaminated samples, and failure to conclusively link the accused to the blast. Specifically, the court stated that the prosecution failed to prove that the motorcycle allegedly used in the blast was in Pragya Thakur's possession or that explosives were stored at Lt Col Purohit's residence.

The powerful explosion occurred on the night of September 29, 2008, near Bhikku Chowk in the communally sensitive town of Malegaon, approximately 200 km from Mumbai. The blast, which took place during the holy month of Ramadan, claimed the lives of six people and left more than a hundred injured.

While the accused walk free, the court has ordered compensation for the victims of the tragedy. The families of each of the six deceased will receive ₹2 lakh, and all injured victims will be granted ₹50,000 as compensation.

The case, which saw multiple investigative agencies involved over the years, including the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and later the NIA, has been a subject of intense public and political scrutiny due to the high-profile nature of the accused and the communal undertones of the attack. Today's verdict marks a critical conclusion to one of India's longest-running terror trials.

What Happened In The 2008 Malegaon Blast?

A bomb strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in a crowded, Muslim-populated part of Malegaon, a city in the state of Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008, during Ramadan, killing six individuals and injuring over 100. The explosion happened on the eve of the Hindu Navratri festival, and the police described it as an attempt to fan communal flames in the volatile region.

Who Were The Accused?

The initial-of-its-type terror trial in India targeted suspected Hindu extremists, including:

• Ex-BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur
• Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit (Indian Army)
• Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay
• Ajay Rahirkar
• Sameer Kulkarni
• Sudhakar Chaturvedi
• Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi

All seven have been tried under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code, including charges of murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, and inciting enmity between religious communities.

How Did The Investigation Proceed?

• Initially, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) took over. They tracked down the motorcycle involved in the blast to Pragya Singh Thakur and picked her up in October 2008.
• ATS detained 11 individuals over time, accusing them of belonging to an extremist organization, known as Abhinav Bharat, and attempting to take revenge on what they perceived as terrorist attacks by Muslim men.
• The case was in 2011 transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The NIA picked holes in the initial ATS inquiry, withdrew MCOCA charges, and even tried to acquit some accused, including Thakur, for insufficient direct evidence. The special court kept her along with six others as accused, alleging their involvement in meetings hatching the blast.
• The prosecution relied on the testimony of witnesses, forensic material, and confessions—although some witnesses later became hostile and there were disputes regarding how evidence was recovered. 

Major Trial Turning Points

• The trial opened in 2018, and more than 320 prosecution witnesses were cross-examined. Thirty-seven witnesses became hostile.
• The trial ended on April 19, 2025. Seven accused were left in the dock to face charges under UAPA, IPC, and the Explosive Substances Act.
• In closing arguments, NIA charged that the blast was masterminded to scare the Muslim community and disrupt law and order in the state.