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Key Points

The National Investigation Agency is carefully studying the court's acquittal order in the high-profile Malegaon blast case. Agency officials confirmed they are seeking legal opinions before deciding whether to file an appeal against the verdict. The special court had cleared all seven accused, including BJP MP Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Shrikant Purohit, citing insufficient evidence. The 2008 explosion had killed six people and injured 101 in the communally sensitive town of Malegaon.

Key Points: NIA Studies Malegaon Blast Verdict After Pragya Thakur Acquittal

  • NIA reviewing verdict that acquitted all 7 Malegaon blast accused
  • Legal opinion being taken at branch level before appeal decision
  • 30-90 day window available for NIA to file potential appeal
  • Court cited inconsistent evidence as reason for acquitting all accused
2 min read

Malegaon blast acquittal: NIA studying verdict, no decision yet on filing appeal

NIA reviewing court's acquittal of all 7 Malegaon blast accused including Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Purohit. Agency yet to decide on filing appeal.

"The prosecution failed to bring any cogent evidence, and the proof that was presented was riddled with inconsistencies. - Special NIA Court"

New Delhi, Aug 28

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is studying the acquittal order in the Malegaon Blast case to take a call on the need or timing of an appeal against the verdict, which saw all seven accused walking free, an official said on Thursday.

An NIA spokesperson said that the probe agency is still going through the judgment and has yet to take a call on filing an appeal against the verdict.

Another official of the probe agency claimed that, currently, legal opinion is being taken at the branch-level and subsequently a decision will be taken on the future course of action. He explained that whenever a court order is delivered in a case, it goes to the CIO (Chief Investigating Officer) and then a legal opinion is taken to decide whether to file an appeal or not.

He also hinted that, normally, a decision on filing a review petition is to be taken in 30 days, but the time limit for filing an appeal can be extended up to 90 days.

On July 31, the Special NIA court acquitted all seven accused, including Pragya Thakur and Lt. Col. Shrikant Purohit. Special Judge A.K. Lahoti acquitted the seven blast accused while giving them the benefit of the doubt.

The other accused included Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni.

The explosion killed six people on September 29, 2008, and injured 101 in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Maharashtra, when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque during the holy month of Ramzan. Following the blast, riot-like conditions erupted at the site, with residents attacking police, further complicating the investigation.

While delivering the verdict, the court said that the prosecution failed to bring any cogent evidence, and the proof that was presented was riddled with inconsistencies.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The court has spoken based on evidence presented. If prosecution couldn't prove the case, we must respect the judicial process. Justice should be based on facts, not emotions.
A
Aman W
After 14 years, the victims' families still have no closure. Our investigation agencies need to improve their forensic and evidence collection methods. Too many high-profile cases end like this 😔
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Nisha Z
Malegaon has seen so much violence over the years. The communal tension there makes investigations very difficult. Hope the NIA makes the right decision whether to appeal or not.
V
Varun X
The court mentioned "inconsistencies" in evidence. This suggests either sloppy investigation or possible tampering. Either way, it's concerning for our justice system.
S
Sarah B
While I understand the frustration, we must remember that it's better to acquit the innocent than convict based on weak evidence. The legal process must be followed properly.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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