After a 17-year-long wait, the Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai announced its verdict today in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
The Special NIA court acquitted all seven accused, including Sadhvi Pragya, a former Member of Parliament from Bhopal and Lt Col Prasad Purohit.
The accused have been acquitted of all charges of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act and other charges.
Special NIA court in its verdict said that the prosecution failed to prove case and the accused deserve benefit of doubt.
Seven individuals who were put on trial include 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.
The blast took place on September 29, 2008, in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Maharashtra. The explosion occurred during the month of Ramzan and just before the festival of Navratri. It claimed six lives and left over 100 people injured.
The verdict was pronounced by Special Judge A K Lahoti.
Sadhvi Pragya was arrested in October 2008. The motorcycle used in the blast was found to be registered in her name. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had claimed she was part of a conspiracy aimed at targeting Muslim-majority areas in retaliation for previous terror attacks.
Lt Col Purohit, who was serving in the Indian Army’s military intelligence wing at the time, was accused of assisting a radical Hindu outfit named Abhinav Bharat. Investigators alleged that he facilitated meetings and helped arrange the explosives used in the attack.
Here Are Live Updates On 2008 Malegaon Blast Case Verdict:
