Days after being acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur publicly criticised the investigation process, alleging torture, coercion, and politically driven motives behind her arrest and prosecution.
Addressing reporters in Mumbai, Thakur said her acquittal on 31 July symbolised a ‘victory of saffron, victory of religion, victory of Sanatan and victory of Hindutva’.
She was among several individuals cleared of all charges in the long-standing terror case.
Thakur accused then-Mumbai Police Commissioner Paramveer Singh of orchestrating her alleged custodial torture.
“The atrocities they committed cannot even be described because words have a limit,” she stated, claiming to have filed complaints naming multiple officers involved.
She further alleged that she was held in custody for 24 days. During this time, she was pressured to falsely implicate high-profile leaders. These included Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and BJP leaders Ram Madhav and Indresh Kumar.
“They told me, ‘If you name these people, we will stop torturing you.’ Their only purpose was to make me tell lies,” Thakur said.
Claims of Physical Damage and Illegal Detention
Thakur also claimed her lung membrane was damaged due to the torture and said she was kept unlawfully at Sushrusha Hospital before being moved elsewhere.
“I am writing my story. All this will come out,” she noted.
According to her, during her detention in Gujarat, investigators also sought to coerce her into naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, something she refused to do.
“Everyone wanted me to tell a lie. But I did not name anyone,” she reiterated.
Thakur called the charges against her ‘fabricated’ and ‘baseless’. She named several officers, including Hemant Karkare, Sukhwinder Singh, and Khanvilkar, accusing them of misconduct and illegal practices.
“Even if we are killed, it will not make any difference to us. A patriot always lives and dies for his country,” she said, vowing to seek justice for the treatment she claimed to have endured.
Thakur’s sharp comments were heavily laced with religious and nationalist overtones. They have reignited public and political discussion around the Malegaon case. The remarks also revived the broader debate over the use of terms like ‘saffron terror’.
While her acquittal concludes a prolonged legal battle, the controversy surrounding the investigation appears far from over.
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