Malegaon blast verdict today: 17 years on, court to rule on terror case; former BJP MP Pragya Thakur, ex-Army men among 7 accused | Mumbai News
MUMBAI: After nearly 17 years, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai is poised to deliver the judgment on Thursday in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, a complex and politically charged terror plot probed by two investigative agencies.The blast, which ripped through Malegaon, a town in Nashik district, on September 29, 2008, claimed six lives and left over 100 injured. Malegaon resident Sayyed Liyaqat, whose 10-year-old daughter Farheen was killed in the blast while she had gone to buy vada-pav at Bhikku Chowk, said he was hopeful victims will get justice.
The explosive device, allegedly strapped to a motorcycle, detonated near a mosque during the holy month of Ramzan and on the eve of Navratri festivities.The seven accused facing trial are Pragya Thakur who became a BJP MP from Bhopal in 2019, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retd), Ajay Rahirkar, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi. The ATS alleged that the bike used in the blast belonged to Thakur, while Purohit brought the RDX from J&K and stored it in his house. The accused are out on bail though charged under stringent sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code linked to committing a terrorist act, conspiring to commit a terrorist act, criminal conspiracy, murder, and promoting enmity between religious groups.The probe, initially led by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) under the late Hemant Karkare, alleged the involvement of “saffron extremists” and linked the accused to a larger conspiracy involving the Abhinav Bharat organization. Its findings allegedly brought to light a series of crucial meetings, painting a picture of a group intent on avenging perceived atrocities against Hindus and establishing a “Central Hindu Govt” (Aryawart). The prosecution contended that these gatherings demonstrated a calculated effort to strike terror by orchestrating a bomb blast in Malegaon, a Muslim-dominated area.The case took a turn when it was transferred to the NIA in 2011. In 2015, special public prosecutor Rohini Salian publicly alleged that the NIA had instructed her to “go soft” on the accused, leading to a change in prosecution. NIA’s supplementary chargesheet in May 2016, accused the ATS of planting RDX traces to frame Purohit and, notably, gave a clean chit to Thakur and others, citing insufficient evidence.Despite the NIA’s stance, the special court on December 27, 2017, ruled that the 7 accused, including Thakur and Purohit, would face trial under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, though charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act were dropped. Finally, on October 30, 2018, terror and murder charges were framed against Thakur, Purohit, and five others.The trial commenced on Dec 3, 2018. The proceedings involved more than 320 prosecution witnesses, with 37 turning hostile, and a plea for an in-camera trial being rejected. There were many dramatic moments. In June 2019, Pragya Singh Thakur, by then an elected MP from Bhopal, caused a stir in court, complaining about a “dirty and small” chair and the “dusty” courtroom.
