2008 Malegaon blast: BJP's Pragya Thakur, Lieutenant Colonel Purohit among 7 acquitted
Judge AK Lahoti of the National Investigation Agency court also directed the Maharashtra government to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those who died in the blast and Rs 50,000 to the persons who were injured.
Six persons were killed and around 100 were injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon in northern Maharashtra on September 29, 2008.
Thakur and Purohit were arrested later that year. Five others – Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi – were also named accused in the case.
All seven of them were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Indian Penal Code. The case was initially investigated by the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad. It was transferred to the National Investigation Agency in 2011.
On Thursday, the judge said the prosecution had proved that a blast occurred in Malegaon, ANI reported. However, it failed to prove that a bomb was placed in that particular motorcycle, he added.
'The bike allegedly involved in the blast did not have a clear chassis number,' the Hindustan Times quoted Lahoti as saying. 'Prosecution could not prove that it was in [Thakur's] possession immediately before the blast.'
A chassis number, also known as the Vehicle Identification Number, is a code that can identify the motorcycle and provide information about its make, model and year, among other specifications.
The court also said that the site of the blast was not barricaded properly by the police, which led to the contamination of evidence, The Times of India reported.
Lahoti further noted that some medical certificates had been manipulated, adding that the actual number of those injured in the blast was 95 and not the initially reported 101.
The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act cannot be invoked in the case as the 'sanction was not taken as per rules', the court added.
Thakur was a BJP MP from Bhopal between 2019 and 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
Centre keen on building Amaravati: Madhav
Narasaraopet: BJP state president PVN Madhav said the Central government is extending all kinds of support and cooperation for the development of state capital Amaravati. Addressing the media here on Monday, he said highway construction works are progressing in every district of the state. Approximately 4,400 kilometres of highways have already been completed. He said 27 highway roads worth Rs 5,600 crore have been inaugurated. He reminded that an amount of Rs 3,000 crore has been sanctioned by the Central government for the Outer Ring Road related works. He further said that the Central government has extended support to Narasaraopet in various ways and added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP needs to be strengthened in the Narasaraopet constituency. He said Narasaraopet is a key agricultural region in Andhra Pradesh. He said efforts are being made to strengthen the right canal of Nagarjuna Sagar, which will help increase the flow of water significantly. He said on the occasion of Independence Day, Tiranga rallies will be organised in every constituency and every house will be encouraged to hoist the national flag. Earlier, he consoled the workers who were injured in a quarry accident at Ballikurava and undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Narasaraopet. He expressed confidence that the coalition government will extend the support and cooperation to the families of six workers who died and also to those who were injured in the accident.
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
Union Minister urges CM to raise wages of mid-day meal cooks
New Delhi/Hyderabad: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has formally urged Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to increase the wages of mid-day meal cooks working in government schools across the state. In a letter written on Monday, Pradhan emphasized the importance of implementing the guidelines laid out under the Prime Minister Poshan Abhiyan. According to UMoSHA, the request follows a recent meeting between union leaders representing Telangana's mid-day meal cooks and senior central ministers, including Pradhan and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in New Delhi. During the meeting, union representatives submitted a petition calling for a hike in their honorarium and greater social security. Responding to concerns over pending Central funds, Pradhan clarified that all dues from the Centre had been cleared. He assured the delegation that he would take up the matter with the state government and push for the sanctioning of any outstanding bills. Pradhan further recommended an increase in the monthly honorarium to Rs 17,000, along with the provision of ESI and PF benefits under applicable labor laws. 'It is vital that the dignity and rights of these essential workers be upheld,' he noted in the communication. The letter comes at a time when midday meal workers across the state have voiced growing concerns over low wages and lack of formal protections, despite playing a crucial role in the welfare of school children.
New Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Spoke for future of cinema, not to hurt any community: Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has clarified that his remarks at the Kerala Film Policy Conclave on Sunday were never intended to hurt any community, after a controversy erupted over his comments on government funding for films. 'I support the intention behind giving a Rs 1.5-crore grant to the SC/ST community members and others,' Adoor told TNIE on Monday. 'There was a time when I travelled to Madras multiple times to conclude a movie shoot. That era is already over. Now, editing is done on the film set itself. Such advanced technology helps us make movies at a lower cost. Therefore, instead of granting Rs 1.5 crore to one person, the government could give Rs 50 lakh each to three people. This would ensure a platform and opportunity for more people.' He suggested mandatory training for newcomers to ensure quality productions. 'If first-time filmmakers get at least three months' training under professionals, they will come up with better films. Otherwise, there is a possibility of a newcomer getting an opportunity and coming with an amateur movie. I don't want that to happen and suggested the need for training. I said all these for the betterment of movies and the best use of the opportunity provided by the government,' he said, stressing that his concern was for the future of cinema, not against any community.
