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In the blast six persons were killed and over 100 wounded after an explosive device tied to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in the town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, on 29 September 2008.
Malegaon Blast 2008 Case: All the seven accused acquitted
Mumbai: A special NIA Court here in Mumbai has acquitted all the seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case today, seventeen years after a powerful blast hit Malegaon in Maharashtra.
All the seven accused including Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Colonel Purohit and others have been acquitted of all charges of UAPA, Arms Act and other charges.
NIA Court Judge Ramesh Chandra Lahoti pronounced the verdict. He is a former Chief Justice of India.
All the seven accused were present in the Court at the time of verdict.
In the blast six persons were killed and over 100 wounded after an explosive device tied to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in the town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, on 29 September 2008.
The trial started in 2018 and countinued till 19 April 2025. The judgement was reserved at that time.
BJP leader and former MP Pragya Thakur is among the seven key accused who faced trial in the case. Other accused include Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni.
29 September, 2008: A bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Malegaon, killing six people and injuring more than 100.
2008–2009 Investigation and Arrests: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), led by Hemant Karkare, took charge of the investigation. In October 2008, BJP leader Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit were arrested, accused of connections to Abhinav Bharat and carrying out a “revenge attack” on the Muslim community.
November 2008: Chief investigator Hemant Karkare was killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, impacting the case.
2009–2011 Political Controversies: The ATS broadened its investigation, arresting more right-wing activists like Dayanand Pandey, Sameer Kulkarni, and Ajay Rahirkar. However, the probe faced severe backlash from Hindutva groups, accusing it of political bias.
January 2009: The ATS filed its first chargesheet naming 11 accused, including Thakur and Purohit, under UAPA, IPC, and Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). By mid-2009, MCOCA charges were dropped due to lack of evidence, but reinstated by the Bombay High Court in 2010. In April 2011, the case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
NIA Investigation and Bail 2016–2017: The NIA dropped MCOCA charges in its supplementary chargesheet, accusing the ATS of planting evidence and coercing confessions. Key accused Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Purohit were granted bail after spending years in custody.
May 2016: NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet removing MCOCA charges.
April 2017: Bombay High Court granted bail to Pragya Thakur citing health reasons.
August 2017: Supreme Court granted bail to Lt Col Purohit after nine years in jail.
December 2017: While MCOCA charges were dropped, a special court ordered all accused to face trial under UAPA, IPC, and the Explosive Substances Act.
Trial and Verdict 2018–2025: The trial started 10 years after the incident, finally concluding in April 2025 after examining over 300 witnesses.
31 July, 2025: All accused accquiting by NIA court.
