Court Acquits All Seven Accused Including Pragya Thakur, Cites Lack Of Evidence
Special Judge AK Lahoti delivered the verdict seventeen years after the devastating explosion that claimed six lives and injured over 100 people in the Maharashtra town. The court emphasized that mere suspicion cannot sustain criminal proceedings and acknowledged the prosecution's inability to substantiate allegations against the defendants.
The September 29, 2008 blast occurred when an explosive device attached to a motorcycle detonated in Malegaon during the holy month of Ramzan. The town's significant Muslim population made the timing particularly sensitive, leading to widespread communal tensions and the controversial emergence of the term "Hindu terror."
Judge Lahoti made pointed observations about the case's moral dimensions while maintaining judicial objectivity. The court stated that terrorism transcends religious boundaries but emphasized that convictions cannot be based solely on moral considerations despite the gravity of the incident against society.
The acquitted individuals include Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi alias Shankaracharya, and Sameer Kulkarni alongside Thakur and Purohit. The case initially fell under Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad jurisdiction before transferring to the National Investigation Agency in 2011.
Investigators had alleged that the blast formed part of a broader conspiracy involving the Abhinav Bharat organization, purportedly seeking revenge for previous attacks on Hindus. The ATS claimed Thakur owned the motorcycle used in the explosion and that Purohit, then serving in military intelligence, facilitated explosive procurement and participated in organizational meetings.
However, the court found no credible evidence supporting these claims. Regarding the motorcycle ownership, Judge Lahoti noted that forensic experts could not completely recover the chassis serial number, preventing definitive ownership establishment. The court also observed that Thakur had renounced material possessions and embraced sanyas two years before the incident.
The judgment cleared Abhinav Bharat of terrorist activities, stating insufficient evidence linked the organization to terror operations. The court noted that material witnesses failed to support prosecution arguments and that conspiracy meetings could not be proven.
Following the verdict, an emotional Thakur characterized the outcome as a victory for Hindutva, claiming vindication after seventeen years of legal proceedings that had devastated her life.
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