NIA Court acquits all seven accused in 2008 Malegaon blast case. Court states prosecution failed to prove the charges. CM Fadnavis and Deputy CM Shinde welcome the verdict.
Malegaon Case: In a major verdict 16 years after the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, a special NIA court in Mumbai has acquitted all seven accused. The court stated that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Following the verdict, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reacted and dismissed the 'saffron terror' narrative. The court has also ordered compensation for the victims.
All accused acquitted after 16 years
A special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court in Mumbai has delivered a major verdict in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, acquitting all seven accused. The court stated that despite presenting 323 witnesses, the prosecution failed to establish a direct connection between these individuals and the blast. Therefore, the court said that the accused could not be convicted 'beyond a reasonable doubt'.
Who were the accused?
The individuals who were accused in the Malegaon blast case are as follows:
- Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur (currently a Member of Parliament)
- Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Shrikant Purohit
- Major (Retired) Ramesh Upadhyay
- Sudhakar Chaturvedi
- Ajay Rahirkar
- Sameer Kulkarni
- Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya)
All of them were charged with serious offenses under UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act), the Arms Act, and murder. However, the court stated that there was insufficient evidence to prove the charges leveled by the prosecution. All were acquitted of these charges.
Questions raised again on 'Saffron Terror'
This case was also in the news because in 2010, the then-Union Home Minister used the term 'saffron terror' for some incidents, including the Malegaon blast. This term remained a subject of controversy in politics and social discourse for years.
Now that the court has acquitted all the accused, questions have been raised about the term 'saffron terror'. Many leaders and organizations say that it was a political narrative aimed at defaming a particular ideology.
Reaction of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the decision and reacted on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, 'Terrorism was never saffron, is not, and never will be.'
Fadnavis said that this decision is a victory for the feelings of thousands of people whose religion and faith were targeted for politics. He also added that today's court decision has made it clear that innocent people were tortured for years by making false accusations.
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde called it 'Victory of Truth'
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde also reacted to the decision. He said that this is a victory of truth, which was tried to be suppressed for years.
Shinde said that Shiv Sena has supported those patriots from the beginning who were falsely implicated in this case. According to him, these accused not only fought a legal battle but also endured mental and physical torture. He said, "The Hindu society will never forget this injustice."
