Court cites lack of evidence; prosecution failed to prove charges beyond doubt
Mumbai, July 31— In a significant judgment, a special NIA court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case. The court stated that the investigating agencies failed to collect sufficient evidence in the matter.
Special Judge A.K. Lahoti, while delivering the verdict, observed that a case cannot be advanced solely on the basis of suspicion. He emphasised that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. “A grave incident against society has taken place, but the court cannot convict merely on moral grounds,” the judge remarked.
Court questions evidence collection and investigation
The court noted that the investigating agency could not establish the identity of the motorcycle used in the explosion. It also failed to provide evidence regarding the sourcing and transportation of RDX used in the blast. As a result, the charges made by the agency could not be substantiated. The court also made remarks about the spot panchnama and the overall investigation process.
The court has ordered compensation of ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 each to the injured victims.
Background of the case
On September 29, 2008, a blast occurred in a motorcycle in Malegaon, a Muslim-majority town in Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring over 100. The investigation was initially conducted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), and later handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011.
The NIA had arrested Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Colonel Prasad Purohit, Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sudhakar Dwivedi in connection with the case. All the accused were present in court when the verdict was announced.
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