New Delhi A special NIA court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Colonel Prasad Purohit, citing lack of evidence.
The verdict comes 17 years after the explosion that killed six people and injured over 100.
Special Judge AK Lahoti, while delivering the verdict, said it was not proven that the motorcycle used in the blast was registered in the name of Sadhvi Pragya.
He also noted that the prosecution failed to establish that Colonel Purohit had manufactured the bomb or that there was any conspiracy involved.
The Malegaon blasts occurred on September 29, 2008. Apart from Thakur and Purohit, the other acquitted accused are Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Sameer Kulkarni, and Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi.
Initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011. A chargesheet was filed by the NIA in 2016.
The case saw multiple twists, including changes in three investigative agencies and four judges. The verdict, initially expected on May 8, 2025, was eventually reserved and delivered on July 31.
