2008 Malegaon Blast Case: No Evidence Found Against Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya; All 7 Accused Acquitted

Malegaon Blast Case: In a landmark judgment, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court acquitted all seven accused of all charges of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The long-awaited verdict came 17 years after deadly explosion killed six people. 

The court stated that although the prosecution proved that a blast occurred in Malegaon, it failed to prove that the RDX was placed in that motorcycle. While noting that the investigation Panchnama was incorrect, the court further highlighted lapses in the investigation and contamination of evidence. 

"There is no evidence of storing or assembling the explosives in Shrikant Prasad Purohit's residence. No sketch of the spot was done by the investigation officer while doing the panchnama. No fingerprint, dump data or anything else was collected for the spot. The samples were contaminated, so the reports can’t be conclusive and are not reliable. The bike allegedly involved in the blast did not have a clear chassis number. Prosecution could not prove that it was in Sadhvi Pragya’s possession immediately before the blast," said the Court.

The special NIA court judge also informed that the injured people were not 101 but 95 only, and there was manipulation in some medical certificates. The judge also pointed out huge difference between the chargesheets filed by ATS and NIA in the case.

"UAPA will not be invoked in this case as sanction was not taken as per rules. Both the sanction orders of the UAPA in the case are defective" the court said.

Regarding the charges on the Abhinav Bharat organisation, the court ruled that there is no evidence that the money of the Abhinav Bharat was used for terror activities. The court neither found any evidence against Lt Col Prasad Purohit that he supplied the explosives nor it was proved who planted the bomb. The judge evidence was not collected by experts after the incident

The court further announced that the families of all six victims of the blast will be given Rs 2 lakh each, and all injured victims will be given Rs 50,000 as compensation.

What Happened in Malegaon?

On September 29, 2008, a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded near a mosque, killing six people and injuring over 100 others, about 200 km from Mumbai. The blast quickly turned into a high-profile probe, with allegations of ‘saffron terror’ dominating political narratives for over a decade.

Special Judge AK Lahoti had reserved the judgment in April 2025, and asked all seven accused to be present in court for the pronouncement today.

Special Judge AK Lahoti pronounced the judgment after nearly two decades of investigation, political scrutiny, and legal fights. All seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and retired army officer Lt Col Prasad Purohit, were present in court when the verdict was announced.

Names of People on Trial

The trial involved seven accused, including prominent figures such as:

• Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, former BJP MP
• Lt Col Prasad Purohit (Retd)
• Major Ramesh Upadhyay (Retd)
• Ajay Rahirkar
• Sameer Kulkarni
• Sudhakar Chaturvedi
• Sudhakar Dwivedi

All seven people mentioned above were tried under multiple provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including charges of murder, conspiracy, attempted murder, promoting enmity, and committing terrorist acts.

Timeline of the 17-Year Legal Battle

• Sept 29, 2008: Motorcycle bomb explodes in Malegaon, killing 6
• Oct-Nov 2008: ATS arrests Pragya Thakur and Col Purohit
• Jan 2009: Maharashtra ATS files chargesheet
• Dec 2010: Case handed over to National Investigation Agency (NIA)
• 2016: NIA files its chargesheet
• 2017: MCOCA charges dropped; Pragya Thakur and Col Purohit granted bail
• Oct 2018: Trial begins in special NIA court
• Sept 2023: Evidence hearings conclude
• July 2024: Final arguments conclude
• April 2025: Court reserves verdict
• July 31, 2025: Verdict delivered

323 Witnesses, 37 Turn Hostile

Throughout the seven-year-long trial, the prosecution examined 323 witnesses. However, 37 of them turned hostile.

Three accused, Shivji Kalsangra, Shyamlal Sahu, and Pravin Mutalik, were discharged by the court due to insufficient evidence during the trial. Two others, Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange remained untraced.