A special court in Mumbai has acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and serving Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit.
The judgement, delivered 17 years after the blast rocked Malegaon in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, brings closure to one of India’s most politically and legally sensitive terror cases.
The 2008 Blast
On 29 September 2008, a bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded in a busy, Muslim-majority area of Malegaon during the holy month of Ramadan.
The blast killed six people and injured 101 others. Authorities suspected the attackers deliberately timed the blast to incite communal unrest ahead of Hindu festivals.
Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) initially led the investigation and traced the motorcycle used in the blast to Pragya Singh Thakur. They arrested Thakur on 23 October 2008, followed soon after by Lt Col Purohit and nine others.
Investigators claimed the accused belonged to a Hindu extremist group called Abhinav Bharat and had conspired to avenge terror attacks by Muslim groups.
In 2011, officials handed over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The NIA later dropped charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), citing procedural lapses by the ATS.
It also questioned the strength of the evidence against Thakur and others, noting that the bike had been in possession of an absconding accused, Ramchandra Kalsangra, before the blast.
Despite the NIA recommending Thakur’s discharge, the court found enough grounds to try her under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the Explosive Substances Act. However, three others were discharged earlier due to a lack of evidence.
Trial and Verdict
The trial began in 2018 and concluded in April 2025. The charges included terrorism, conspiracy, murder, and promoting communal enmity.
The NIA argued that the blast was intended to terrorise the Muslim community and disrupt social harmony.
On 31 July 2025, the special NIA court acquitted all seven accused, citing insufficient evidence.
The ruling marks the end of one of the country’s most controversial terrorism cases, with all surviving accused now cleared of all charges.
The acquittal is likely to trigger political and legal fallout, especially in terrorism cases with communal angles.
The judgment may prompt further scrutiny of investigative methods and the role of evidence in terror trials.
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