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Key Points

After a 17-year legal battle, all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case have been acquitted by a special NIA court. The verdict effectively rejects the controversial 'Hindu terror' theory first proposed by Maharashtra ATS. Key accused including Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Purohit walked free as prosecution failed to prove motorcycle ownership and bomb placement. The court ordered Maharashtra government to pay compensation to victims' families while highlighting evidentiary gaps in the case.

Key Points: Malegaon blast case ends as court acquits Sadhvi Pragya and 6 others

  • Court acquits Sadhvi Pragya and 6 others citing lack of evidence
  • Case saw 3 chargesheets and 323 witnesses over 17 years
  • NIA court rejects ATS's 'Hindu terror' theory
  • Maharashtra ordered to pay ₹2 lakh compensation to victims' families
3 min read

2008 Malegaon blast: Verdict after 17-year trial junks 'Hindu terror' theory

After 17 years, NIA court acquits all accused in 2008 Malegaon blast case, rejecting 'Hindu terror' theory

"Prosecution proved that a blast occurred in Malegaon but failed to prove that a bomb was placed in a motorcycle - NIA Special Judge Abhay Lohati"

Mumbai, July 31

The acquittal of all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case on Thursday marks the end of a case which saw the coining of a new term ‘Hindu terror’ and its effective junking by the Special NIA Court in Mumbai.

The 17-year-long trial witnessed several twists, with three charge sheets, including a supplementary one, being filed by two probe agencies: the ATS, Maharashtra, and the NIA. Both agencies added new contours to the prosecution theory at crucial stages and frequently included and dropped witnesses.

Key facts, developments, and dates related to the case:

- September 29, 2008: Six killed in Malegaon after a bomb strapped to a motorcycle explodes, sparking riots.

Accused: 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; and Sameer Kulkarni.

Charges: Conspiracy, murder, and use of explosives under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

- Genesis of ‘Hindu terror’: The ATS led by Hemant Karkare claimed that the blast was carried out by individuals linked to right-wing Hindu extremist groups – leading to the coining of the term ‘Hindu terror’.

- October 2008: ATS arrests Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit; both accused of links to Abhinav Bharat, which planned the ‘revenge attack’ on Muslims.

- November 2008: The motorcycle used in the blast was collected as evidence. Hemant Karkare was killed in the 26/11 attack.

- January 2009: First chargesheet filed by ATS, naming 11 accused.

- July 2009: Special Court drops MCOCA charges against accused.

- July 2010: Bombay High Court reinstates MCOCA charges.

- April 2011: NIA takes over the case.

- 2016-2017: NIA files supplementary chargesheet, drops MCOCA charges but retains terror charges; accuses ATS of planting evidence.

- 2017: Purohit gets bail in the Supreme Court; High Court grants bail to Sadhvi Pragya.

- October 2018: Charges formally framed against seven accused.

- December 2018: Trial officially begins in the Special NIA Court.

- September 2023: Prosecution closes argument after examining 323 witnesses, 37 of whom turned hostile.

- April 19, 2025: Final arguments conclude; Special NIA Court in Mumbai reserves judgment.

- July 31, 2025: Special NIA Court acquits all seven accused who were on bail, orders Maharashtra government to pay Rs 2 lakh compensation to those killed and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

NIA Special Judge Abhay Lohati’s quote:

“Prosecution proved that a blast occurred in Malegaon but failed to prove that a bomb was placed in a motorcycle.”

Grounds for acquittal:

Benefit of the doubt was given to the accused as prosecution failed to prove that the motorcycle belonged to Sadhvi Pragya and that Lt. Colonel Purohit planted the bomb in it.

Key turning point:

Prosecution failed to prove that the accused held meetings in Bhopal, Faridabad, and other locations where the idea of forming a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and launching attacks was discussed.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya M
The real victims here are the families who lost loved ones in the blast. Whether Hindu or Muslim, terrorism has no religion. The investigation agencies should be held accountable for such shoddy work that wasted 17 years.
A
Amit K
This verdict proves how our agencies were misused during UPA regime. Sadhvi Pragya's motorcycle theory was always doubtful. Now media should give equal coverage to this acquittal as they gave to the arrests.
S
Shweta N
As a law student, I'm concerned about the 323 witnesses and 37 turning hostile. Our justice system needs serious reforms. Both ATS and NIA changed their stance multiple times - how can citizens trust such investigations?
V
Vikram R
The term 'Hindu terror' was always a media creation. But let's not forget real victims - 6 innocent lives lost. Rs 2 lakh compensation is too little after 17 years. Government should do more for victim families.
N
Neha P
While I respect the court's decision, I hope this doesn't become a tool to dismiss all concerns about right-wing extremism. We must remain vigilant against ALL forms of terrorism, regardless of religion.
R
Rajesh T
The biggest lesson - don't jump to conclusions based on media trials.

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