2008 Malegaon Blast: Sadhvi Pragya, Lt Colonel Purohit Discharged

Sadhvi Pragya (in photo) is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

New Delhi: A special court of the National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Wednesday said Sadhvi Pragya and Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Purohit will not be charged under the tough Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act or MCOCA in the Malegaon blast case of 2008. The NIA court, however, said Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Colonel Purohit will be tried for criminal conspiracy. The next hearing of the case is on January 15, 2018. The court said Sadhvi Pragya "cannot be exonerated of conspiracy charges as she was aware of the motorcycle being used for the conspiracy."

Here is a timeline of the Malegaon blast probe:

September 29, 2008: Seven people are killed and 101 injured after a bomb planted on a motorcycle goes off at Malegaon in Maharashtra's Nashik district.

October 2008: Police arrest Sadhvi Pragya and 3 others.

November, 2008: Anti-Terror Squad arrest Colonel Purohit, a serving army officer.

January 2009: Anti Terror Squad files final chargesheet against 11 accused. .

July, 2009: A special court says that Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) charges are not applicable and the accused be tried by a lower court in Nashik.

July, 2010: Bombay high court overturns the earlier court order and upholds the charges under provisions of MCOCA.

August 2010: Colonel Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya challenge Bombay High Court order for upholding the MCOCA charges.

April 2015: Supreme Court sends case back to lower court to consider the applicability MCOCA Act. Case transferred to National Investigative Agency (NIA).

February 2016: NIA tells court that the Attorney-General's opinion is being sought on whether the accused can be tried under MCOCA Act.

April 2016: MCOCA court gives clean chit to the 9 accused, saying there is no evidence against them.

April 2017: Sadhvi Pragya granted bail. NIA recommends charges against her are dropped.

August 2017: Colonel Purohit released from jail on conditional bail.

December 2017: A special court of the NIA discharges Sadhvi Pragya and Colonel Srikant Purohit.