A special NIA court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted BJP MP Pragya Thakur and six others in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, stating that there was no concrete evidence linking the accused to the explosion that killed six and injured over 100 people.
Special Judge A.K. Lahoti observed that while the blast was proven, the prosecution failed to establish that the LML Freedom motorcycle used in the blast was owned or possessed by Pragya Thakur. The engine and chassis numbers were found to be tampered with, and there was no conclusive evidence proving her connection to the vehicle.
A Long and Controversial Trial
The acquittal concludes a 17-year-long legal battle in one of India’s most high-profile terror cases. Pragya Thakur, a former Sadhvi and now a BJP MP from Bhopal, had been accused of orchestrating the attack as a form of retaliation for earlier terror incidents, such as the 2006 Mumbai train blasts.
Thakur was arrested in October 2008 and spent several years in custody. She later secured bail in 2017 on health grounds and entered politics in 2019, winning a parliamentary seat in Bhopal.
Courtroom Reaction
Following the verdict, an emotional Pragya Thakur addressed the court:
“This case ruined my life. I was arrested and tortured. I had lived a life of renunciation as a sanyasi, but was branded a terrorist. No one stood with me. Today, saffron has triumphed, Hindutva has triumphed,” she said, adding that divine justice would prevail against those who defamed her.
Charges and Allegations
The prosecution alleged that the bomb was planted on a two-wheeler registered in Thakur’s name. Investigators claimed forensic analysis had partially restored the bike’s erased engine number. However, the court ruled the link to Thakur was unproven and that suspicion could not substitute for legal proof.
Thakur’s co-accused, including former Army officer Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (Retd), and others, were also acquitted.
Allegations of Torture and Political Controversy
Throughout the trial, Thakur maintained she was falsely implicated and subjected to custodial torture — a claim investigated by the National Human Rights Commission in 2014, which found no evidence.
She sparked further controversy during the 2019 elections by calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a “patriot” and claiming that she had “cursed” ATS officer Hemant Karkare, who later died in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The BJP and Prime Minister Modi distanced themselves from her comments.
What’s Next?
With all accused now acquitted, the case adds to the list of prolonged terror investigations ending in collapse due to lack of evidence. The NIA has not yet confirmed whether it will appeal the verdict.
