A special NIA court in Mumbai is scheduled to deliver its judgment today in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, 17 years after the incident. The blast, which occurred on September 29, 2008, in Malegaon, Maharashtra, killed six people and injured more than 100. The incident involved two bombs concealed in motorcycles that exploded near a mosque in the Muslim-majority town during the month of Ramzan.
The seven accused in the case include BJP leader Pragya Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retd), Ajay Rahirkar, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi. They face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for offenses including committing a terrorist act, conspiring to commit a terrorist act, criminal conspiracy, murder, and promoting enmity between religious groups. The NIA has sought strict punishment for those involved. All of the accused are currently out on bail.
The case was initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) before being transferred to the NIA in 2011. The ATS initially arrested some Muslim youths, but later claimed to have found evidence pointing to Hindutva extremist groups. The NIA then arrested another set of accused persons belonging to a right-wing organization.
The trial in the case began in 2018 after charges were framed against the seven accused. The prosecution's arguments spanned from July 25, 2024, to September 27, 2024, while the defense presented its arguments between September 30, 2024, and April 3, 2025. The prosecution's rebuttal argument occurred from April 4, 2025, to April 19, 2025. A total of 323 witnesses were examined, with 40 being declared hostile. The court had initially scheduled the verdict for May 8, 2025, but deferred it to July 31, citing the voluminous documents involved.
In its final argument, the NIA contended that the Malegaon blast was orchestrated to terrorize a section of the Muslim community, disrupt essential services, create communal tensions, and threaten the state's internal security. The prosecution argued that the accused were directly involved in a larger conspiracy and were instrumental in causing the bomb explosion. The NIA has claimed the intention of the accused was to strike terror in a section of the Muslim community.
Conversely, the defense has claimed the investigation was tainted by serious procedural irregularities and a complete disregard for standard legal protocols. Some of the accused claim the bombing never happened, while others blame it on SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India).
Residents of Malegaon are awaiting the verdict with anticipation. The 2008 blast was the second in quick succession, following the 2006 blasts that killed 31 and injured 297 others. Maulana Abdul Qayyum, President of Jamiat-ul-Ulema (Nashik), expressed hope that the perpetrators would be punished, and that the families of those martyred in the bomb blast have been waiting for justice for many years.
