In 2008, a major bomb blast occurred in Malegaon, Maharashtra, resulting in the death of six people and injuries to approximately 101 others after a motorcycle exploded.
New Delhi: Seventeen years after the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast in Maharashtra, a special NIA court delivered a landmark verdict on Thursday. The court acquitted all seven accused, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit. With this decision, the legal chapter of one of the country's most talked-about terrorism cases came to an end.
This case began with a horrific bomb blast that impacted the country's politics, investigative agencies, and judicial system for years. Let's delve into what the Malegaon blast case was, how it was investigated, and on what basis the court acquitted all the accused.
What happened on September 29, 2008?
On the night of September 29, 2008, during the month of Ramadan, a motorcycle exploded between Anjuman Chowk and Bhiku Chowk in Malegaon, a Muslim-majority city in the Nashik district of Maharashtra. The blast occurred around 9:35 PM. Six people lost their lives in this explosion, and more than 101 were injured. The explosion took place near a mosque, causing panic in the area.
Following the explosion, the responsibility for the investigation was assigned to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). During the investigation, the ATS found that the blast was carried out by planting an IED device in an LML Freedom motorcycle. The vehicle's engine and chassis numbers were found to have been erased, but forensic investigations revealed that the bike was registered in the name of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.
Based on this, Pragya Thakur was arrested on October 23, 2008. Subsequently, the ATS named 11 people as accused, alleging that they had formed an organization called 'Abhinav Bharat' and carried out the blast.
ATS's claim: 'Attack carried out in a spirit of revenge'
The ATS had alleged that the accused carried out this attack with the intention of avenging the terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists. The investigation revealed that Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit had brought RDX from Kashmir and kept it in his house, which was used in the bomb's construction. It was also claimed that traces of RDX were found at the house of the accused, Sudhakar Chaturvedi.
In 2011, the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The NIA filed its charge sheet in 2016, making several significant changes. The NIA dropped the charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused, stating that it was not appropriate to take action under this law.
In the charge sheet, the NIA gave a clean chit to Pragya Thakur, Shyam Sahu, Praveen Takalki, and Shivnarayan Kalsangra, requesting the court to acquit them. However, the trial continued against the other seven accused.
Names and Charges of the Accused
The seven accused who were on trial in the case included:
- Pragya Singh Thakur (BJP MP)
- Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit
- Major Ramesh Upadhyay
- Ajay Rahirkar
- Sudhakar Dwivedi
- Sudhakar Chaturvedi
- Sameer Kulkarni
All of them faced serious charges under UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and sections of the IPC, including murder, criminal conspiracy, attempting to disrupt communal harmony, and involvement in terrorist activities.
Trial began in 2018, Verdict came in 2025
The trial in this case began in 2018, and the final arguments were completed on April 19, 2025. In July 2025, the special NIA court acquitted all seven accused. The court, while delivering the verdict, stated that: The prosecution was unable to present solid and reliable evidence. It could not be proven that Pragya Thakur's motorcycle was used in the blast.
The blast was based on the theory of explosives being placed in the motorcycle, but there was no scientific or direct evidence in its favor. The court said, No religion supports terror or violence. The court cannot convict anyone solely on moral grounds or assumptions. Solid evidence is necessary. The court also said that medical evidence was manipulated and the number of injured was not 101 but only 95.
