'Shoddy investigation' led to Malegaon blast acquittals: Owaisi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has called the Malegaon blast case verdict disappointing.

“Six namazis were killed in the blast, and nearly 100 were injured. They were targeted for their religion. A deliberately shoddy investigation/prosecution is responsible for the acquittal,” he said.

Owaisi said that 17 years after the blast, the court has acquitted all of the accused for lack of evidence.

“Will the Modi and Devendra Fadnavis governments appeal the judgment the way they swiftly demanded a stay in the Mumbai train blasts acquittals? Will Maharashtra’s “secular” political parties demand accountability? Who killed the 6 people?” Owaisi asked.

He said that in 2016, the then prosecutor in the case, Rohini Salian, went on record to say that the NIA had asked her to “go soft” on the accused.

“Remember, in 2017, the NIA had tried to get Sadhvi Pragya acquitted. The same person would go on to be a BJP MP in 2019. Hemant Karkare had uncovered the conspiracy in Malegaon and was unfortunately killed by Pakistani terrorists in the 26/11 attacks. The BJP MP went on record saying that she had cursed him and his death was a consequence of her curse,” Owaisi said.

He asked if NIA/ATS officers should be held accountable for their faulty investigation.

”I think we know the answer. This is the “tough on terror” Modi government. The world will remember that it made a terror accused a Member of Parliament,” Owaisi rued.