A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Those acquitted include former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The verdict comes nearly 17 years after the blast, which occurred on September 29, 2008, in Malegaon, Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring over 100.
Special Judge A.K. Lahoti pronounced the verdict, stating that the prosecution proved a blast occurred in Malegaon but failed to prove the bomb was placed on the motorcycle. The court also stated there was no evidence of storing or assembling explosives in Lt Col Purohit's residence. According to the court, the investigating officer did not sketch the spot during the 'panchnama,' and no fingerprints or dump data were collected. The court noted sample contamination, making reports inconclusive and unreliable. Additionally, the motorcycle allegedly involved in the blast did not have a clear chassis number, and the prosecution could not prove Pragya Singh Thakur possessed it before the blast.
The court also stated that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) would not be invoked because the sanction was not taken as per the rules and both sanction orders were defective. The court concluded that the number of injured people was 95, not 101, and there was manipulation in some medical certificates. The NIA took over the case in 2011 from the Maharashtra ATS. All accused were out on bail.
The court observed the blast site was not properly barricaded, resulting in crime scene contamination. It further noted no reliable evidence proved Pragya Singh Thakur owned the motorcycle, observing she had become a renunciant two years before the blast and distanced herself from material possessions. The special judge said that terrorism has no religion as no religion can advocate violence.
The court also announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh to each deceased victim's family and Rs 50,000 to each injured victim. The NIA court stated that the prosecution failed to prove the case, and the accused deserve the benefit of the doubt.
