The 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case got a closure today, 17 years after a powerful blast hit Malegaon in Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring over 100. All seven accused, including former BJP Member of Parliament Sadhvi Pragya and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, were pronounced not guilty in the case. A K Lahoti of the Special National Investigation Agency Court, Mumbai, pronounced the verdict.
Malegaon Blast Case: A Recap
September 29, 2008: On the night of September 29, 2008, a low-intensity bomb fitted to a motorcycle went off near Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon, triggering panic and chaos in the communally sensitive town. The explosion occurred during the month of Ramzan and just before the festival of Navratri.
October 2008: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) began investigating the case and their probe led to the arrest of individuals linked to Hindu right-wing groups - giving rise to the controversial political phrase "Hindu terror."
The ATS, then led by Hemant Karkare, arrested former BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, whose motorcycle was allegedly used in the blast. Investigators claimed that she was actively involved in the planning and had provided the vehicle to the perpetrators.
Lt Col Purohit, one of the seven accused, was also arrested under the accusation of being a key ideologue and facilitator. The ATS alleged that Purohit, through his association with the group Abhinav Bharat, arranged meetings, recruited individuals, and procured RDX used in the blast.
Both Thakur and Purohit denied involvement and were later granted bail.
January 2009: First charge sheet filed by ATS
April 2011: The case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011, which re-registered the offence and conducted further investigations.
2016: Ever since taking over the case, NIA filed multiple chargesheets, a supplementary chargesheet, dropped charges under MCOCA, but retained key terror charges under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Arms Act intact against key accused like Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Purohit.
NIA also acquitted several individuals previously named by the ATS, citing a lack of prosecutable evidence. NIA found serious loopholes in the ATS probe and alleged that the accused were tortured to extract confessional statements.
2018: Charges were formally framed against the seven accused, giving way to the trial. The seven individuals were identified as - Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, former BJP MP from Bhopal; Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, then serving officer in Military Intelligence; Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay; Ajay Rahirkar; Sudhakar Dwivedi; Sudhakar Chaturvedi; Sameer Kulkarni.
2018-2023: Over the course of the trial, the court examined 323 prosecution witnesses and eight defence witnesses. Approximately 40 witnesses turned hostile during the proceedings.
A large volume of evidence was submitted, including more than 10,800 exhibits were submitted over the trial. Over 400 articles were also seized during the investigation.
April 2025: After over 16 years, final arguments from the prosecution and defence concluded in April 2025. The prosecution submitted detailed written arguments spanning over 1,300 pages, along with legal citations and documentary evidence.
The judgment was reserved on April 19.
July 31, 2025: A special court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused, who were already out on bail, in the case.
