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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Justice denied, say families of victims, ask who carried out the 2008 blast
Malegaon: Families of those who died in the say they believe justice was denied and the extensive effort of slain Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare in investigating the case and apprehending the accused, were futile. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Shaikh Liyakat of Hirapura area in Malegaon, whose 10-year-old daughter Farheen lost her life in the blast, said, "If the court has not found anyone guilty, then who caused the blast and who was responsible for the deaths of six people? Farheen just stepped out from our rented house near Bhikku Chowk to buy a wada pav when the blast took place." At 68, Shaikh Liyakat, a former truck driver, added, "I have been carrying Farheen's photo for the past 17 years, hoping that those responsible for her death will one day be punished. We feel disappointed today and feel we did not get justice. We have full faith in our judiciary and hope that those who took the lives of our loved ones are punished one day," Liyakat told TOI. To commemorate Farheen's death anniversary, Shaikh Liyakat continues to feed young children every year on the 28th day of the month of Ramadan. Farheen was the youngest of his six children. Mushtaq Shah, 58, whose house is in a very congested locality behind the Malegaon Municipal School No. 1, operates a wada pav stall in the textile town. He lost his father, Harun Shah (75), in the blast. Remembering the night, Mushtaq said, "My father would have lived much longer. He was still working in a power loom at that time. On that fateful day, as usual, he stopped by Bhikku Chowk to have a cup of tea and eat paan when the blast occurred. We are disappointed with the verdict. The govt should approach the high court. Those involved in taking innocent lives should not be spared and allowed to go scot-free." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Shaikh Ibrahim Shaikh Supra, 84, a resident of Dhule Road Gulashan Hajjin Masjid, whose son-in-law Rafiq Shaikh died in the blast, expressed his disappointment over the verdict. His daughter, Noorjahan, could not come to terms with her husband's death and died two years ago. Her son, Rihan, was 19 at the time of the blast. "She was my only child. Hence, Rafiq, who drove a private bus, used to stay with us. It was his habit to have tea at Bhikku Chowk before leaving for work. That is where he was when the blast took place," Supra said. "The victims are determined to seek justice and will pursue legal remedies by filing an independent appeal in Bombay High Court after reviewing the judgments" said Shahid Nadeem, victims' advocate.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Justice denied, feel families of blast victims as questions raised about who caused the 2008 blast in Malegaon
1 2 3 4 5 6 Malegaon: Families of those who died in the Malegaon blast believe justice was denied and the extensive effort of slain Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare in investigating the case and apprehending the accused, went futile. Shaikh Liyakat, of Hirapura area in Malegaon, whose 10-year-old daughter Farheen lost her life in the blast, said, "If the court has not found anyone guilty, then who caused the blast and who was responsible for the death of six people? Farheen just stepped out from our rented house near Bhikku Chowk to buy a wada pav when the blast took place." At 68, Shaikh Liyakat, a former truck driver, added, "I have been carrying Farheen's photo for the past 17 years, hoping that those responsible for her death will one day be punished. We feel disappointed today and feel we did not get justice. We have full faith in our judiciary and hope that those who took the lives of our loved ones are punished one day," Liyakat told TOI. To commemorate Farheen's death anniversary, Shaikh Liyakat continues to feed young children every year on the 28th day of the month of Ramadan. Farheen was the youngest of his six children. Mushtaq Shah, 58, whose house is in a very congested locality behind the Malegaon Municipal School No. 1, operates a wada pav stall in the textile town. He lost his father, Harun Shah (75), in the blast. Remembering the night, Mushtaq said, "My father would have lived much longer. He was still working in a power loom at that time. On that fateful day, as usual, he stopped by Bhikku Chowk to have a cup of tea and eat paan when the blast happened. We are disappointed with the verdict. The govt should approach the high court. Those involved in taking innocent lives should not be spared and allowed to go scot-free." Shaikh Ibrahim Shaikh Supra, 84, a resident of Dhule Road Gulashan Hajjin Masjid, whose son-in-law Rafiq Shaikh died in the blast, also expressed his disappointment over the court verdict. His daughter, Noorjahan, could not come to terms with her husband's death and passed away two years ago. Her son, Rihan, was 19 at the time of the blast. "She was my only child. Hence, Rafiq, who drove a private bus, used to stay with us. It was his habit to have tea at Bhikku Chowk before leaving for his work. That is where he was when the blast took place," Supra said. Meanwhile, none of them have lost hope in the court of law. They said those involved in the case are known to everyone and one day, justice will be delivered to them, they added.
Hans India
18 hours ago
- Hans India
2008 Malegaon blast: NIA court acquits all 7 accused, gives them benefit of the doubt
Mumbai: The benefit of the doubt given to the seven acquitted accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case is rooted in the Special NIA court's rejection of the prosecution theory that Lt Colonel Shrikant Purohit planted the bomb on a motorcycle and that the vehicle belonged to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Judge A.K. Lahoti pulled up the prosecution for its failure to prove who manufactured or supplied the bomb and slammed the investigators for their inability to establish who planted the bomb on the motorcycle. Giving the benefit of the doubt to the accused, the court dismissed the prosecution's charge that an explosive was fitted in the motorcycle by Lt Colonel Purohit, saying that the explosive could have been placed or hung on the vehicle. Also, the chassis number of the motorcycle was never recovered, and it could not be established that Sadhvi Pragya was the owner of the vehicle, it noted. No evidence was found linking Abhinav Bharat to the activity, and the entire case was based on an allegation, the court said. Additionally, Judge Lahoti noted that there was no proof that RDX was stored at Lt Colonel Purohit's residence and took a serious view of allegations that explosives were planted at the residence of accused Sudhakar Chaturvedi. The court has now directed the Additional Director General (ADG) of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to initiate a probe into allegations that explosives were planted at the residence of accused Chaturvedi. The acquittal is also a reflection of the shoddy probe conducted into the case. The court said that the 'panchnama' was not prepared properly after the blast, and no fingerprints were collected from the crime scene. Experts failed to collect evidence properly after the incident, resulting in contamination of crucial proof, the NIA court said. The seven individuals who were put on trial included Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, former BJP MP from Bhopal; Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, then serving officer in Military Intelligence; Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay; Ajay Rahirkar; Sudhakar Dwivedi; Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni. The explosion killed six people on September 29, 2008, and 101 were injured in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Maharashtra, when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque during the holy month of Ramzan. Following the blast, riot-like conditions erupted at the site, with local residents attacking police, further complicating the investigation. While acquitting the accused, the NIA court also directed the Maharashtra government to pay Rs 2 lakh compensation to the victim's families and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Meanwhile, Advocate Shahid Nadeem, lawyer of one of the victims in the Malegaon blast case, said, "This is not a clear acquittal; an appeal will be filed in this matter.' Earlier, accused Major Upadhyay said, 'I was physically tortured, mentally ruined, financially devastated and socially boycotted. My landlord threw me out with my belongings. I spent 9 years in jail, and my family suffered immensely…' The hearing in the case concluded in April this year, and the court reserved its judgment on April 19. Throughout the trial, the prosecution examined 323 witnesses, though 34 of them turned hostile, significantly weakening the prosecution's case. Initially, the investigation was conducted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which arrested the accused and filed the first charge sheet. However, in 2011, the probe was transferred to the NIA. In 2016, the NIA filed a supplementary charge sheet dropping charges against several accused, including Sadhvi Pragya, citing insufficient evidence to prosecute them under stringent anti-terror laws. All accused were out on bail during the trial. They were facing serious charges, including conspiracy, murder, and use of explosives under UAPA and IPC provisions.
Economic Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Five judges, two agencies and a 17-year wait — the long road to verdict in Malegaon blast case
The trial in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, which stretched over nearly 17 years, witnessed not only a change in investigating agencies but also five different judges presiding over various stages of the proceedings. A special court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, noting there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" against them. The investigation was initially conducted by the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which had pinned the blame on right-wing extremists who were members of 'Abhinav Bharat' probe was later handed over to the NIA, which gave a clean chit to Thakur. However, the court conducted the trial against her, citing prima facie the initial remand of the accused to the filing of charge sheets, framing of charges, commencement of trial, and finally the verdict, the case passed through the hands of five judges between 2008 and 2025. Both the victims of the blast and the accused cited this frequent change of judges as a significant factor in derailing the trial and contributing to the prolonged Kulkarni, one of the accused who was eventually acquitted, told PTI that this was among the longest-running trials. He blamed both the prosecution and defence for failing to expedite the proceedings. Kulkarni had even filed a petition in the High Court seeking that the trial be Shaheed Nadeem, who represented several victims, acknowledged that the repeated transfer of judges had indeed hampered the trial. He pointed out that the voluminous case records meant each new judge had to start afresh, further delaying the first judge to preside over the case was Special Judge Y.D. Shinde. He handled the initial remand of the accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, and others. In a significant ruling, Judge Shinde set aside the invocation of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), observing that none of the accused were part of an organised crime syndicate. He noted that the legal prerequisite for invoking MCOCA-that an accused must have more than one charge sheet filed against them-was not met. However, the Bombay High Court later reinstated the application of MCOCA following an appeal by the state Shinde, special judge S.D. Tekale presided over the case from 2015 to 2018 until his transfer during annual judicial was Judge Tekale who rejected the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) move to grant a clean chit to Pragya Thakur, asserting that there was prima facie evidence warranting her Tekale, special judge V.S. Padalkar took over and, in October 2018, formally framed charges against Thakur, Purohit, and five others. The trial officially began under his tenure with the examination of the first P.R. Sitre succeeded Padalkar after his retirement in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the trial to a temporary standstill. Despite the challenges, Judge Sitre managed to examine 100 witnesses during his tenure of just over a 2022, when Sitre was slated for transfer, victims of the blast wrote to the then Bombay High Court Chief Justice Dipankar Datta, urging that the transfer be stayed to avoid further Sitre's transfer, special judge A.K. Lahoti took over the trial in June 2022. Till April 2025, Judge Lahoti continued the April, when he was slated for transfer to Nashik, the victims again wrote to the then HC Chief Justice seeking a stay on the transfer as the trial was nearing completion. Responding to their plea, Judge Lahoti's tenure as special NIA judge was extended until the end of August 2025, allowing him to complete the trial.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Five judges, two agencies and a 17-year wait — the long road to verdict in Malegaon blast case
The trial in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, which stretched over nearly 17 years, witnessed not only a change in investigating agencies but also five different judges presiding over various stages of the proceedings. A special court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit , noting there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" against them. The investigation was initially conducted by the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which had pinned the blame on right-wing extremists who were members of 'Abhinav Bharat' group. The probe was later handed over to the NIA, which gave a clean chit to Thakur. However, the court conducted the trial against her, citing prima facie evidence. From the initial remand of the accused to the filing of charge sheets, framing of charges, commencement of trial, and finally the verdict, the case passed through the hands of five judges between 2008 and 2025. Live Events Both the victims of the blast and the accused cited this frequent change of judges as a significant factor in derailing the trial and contributing to the prolonged delay. Sameer Kulkarni, one of the accused who was eventually acquitted, told PTI that this was among the longest-running trials. He blamed both the prosecution and defence for failing to expedite the proceedings. Kulkarni had even filed a petition in the High Court seeking that the trial be fast-tracked. Advocate Shaheed Nadeem, who represented several victims, acknowledged that the repeated transfer of judges had indeed hampered the trial. He pointed out that the voluminous case records meant each new judge had to start afresh, further delaying the process. The first judge to preside over the case was Special Judge Y.D. Shinde. He handled the initial remand of the accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, and others. In a significant ruling, Judge Shinde set aside the invocation of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), observing that none of the accused were part of an organised crime syndicate. He noted that the legal prerequisite for invoking MCOCA-that an accused must have more than one charge sheet filed against them-was not met. However, the Bombay High Court later reinstated the application of MCOCA following an appeal by the state government. Following Shinde, special judge S.D. Tekale presided over the case from 2015 to 2018 until his transfer during annual judicial postings. It was Judge Tekale who rejected the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) move to grant a clean chit to Pragya Thakur, asserting that there was prima facie evidence warranting her trial. After Tekale, special judge V.S. Padalkar took over and, in October 2018, formally framed charges against Thakur, Purohit, and five others. The trial officially began under his tenure with the examination of the first witness. Judge P.R. Sitre succeeded Padalkar after his retirement in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the trial to a temporary standstill. Despite the challenges, Judge Sitre managed to examine 100 witnesses during his tenure of just over a year. In 2022, when Sitre was slated for transfer, victims of the blast wrote to the then Bombay High Court Chief Justice Dipankar Datta, urging that the transfer be stayed to avoid further delays. Following Sitre's transfer, special judge A.K. Lahoti took over the trial in June 2022. Till April 2025, Judge Lahoti continued the trial. In April, when he was slated for transfer to Nashik, the victims again wrote to the then HC Chief Justice seeking a stay on the transfer as the trial was nearing completion. Responding to their plea, Judge Lahoti's tenure as special NIA judge was extended until the end of August 2025, allowing him to complete the trial.
