Malegaon blast verdict: Pragya Thakur, Lt Col Purohit among 7 acquitted by NIA court in 2008 case

A special NIA court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and former army officer Lt Col Shrikant Purohit, in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

The court said suspicion was not enough of a ground for conviction under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act under which the accused were charged and faces trial.

Accused acquitted are former BJP MP from Bhopal Pragya Thakur, former Army officer lieutenant colonel Srikant Purohit Maj (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahikar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Sameer Kulkarni.

The accused were charges with conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder, promotion of enmity and voluntarily, causing hurt.

Former BJP MP said acquittal by court not just a win for her but for every ‘Bhagwa’ (saffron).

On September 29 2008, six people were killed and 101 others injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City’s Bhikku Chowk.

Read: 'Mera pura jeewan kalankit kar diya tha': Pragya Thakur as she hails acquittal in Malegaon blast case

The judge, while reading out the judgment, said there was no “reliable and cogent” evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were not applicable to the case, the court said.

The court also said it was not established that the motorbike used in the blast was registered in the name of Thakur, as claimed by the prosecution.

It has also not been established that the blast was carried out by the bomb allegedly planted on the bike, the court said.

Earlier in the morning, the seven accused, all out on bail, arrived at the sessions court in south Mumbai which was barricaded with heavy security.

The prosecution’s claim was that the blast was orchestrated by right wing extremists with an intention to terrorise the local Muslim community.