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Hans India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
2008 Malegaon Blast Case: Special NIA court acquits all 7 accused
Mumbai: Seventeen years after the blast, a special NIA court in Mumbai has acquitted all the seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The NIA court, in its judgment, said the prosecution had 'failed to prove the case' and that the accused 'deserved the benefit of doubt'. The provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were not applicable to the case, the court said. The judge observed that the prosecution could not prove that the bike to which the bomb was allegedly strapped, belonged to Pragya Thakur. Pragya Thakur had turned into a sansyasi two years before the bomb blast took place in Malegaon. She had already given up all the material things in life before the incident happened, the court hard to establish prosecution's claims that there were any conspiracy between the accused. There is no evidence to prove the claims that an organisation named Abhinav Bharat that was founded by Pragya Thakur and Col Purohit, used the funds generated through the organisation to execute the bomb blast, the court further observed. The court also said there was no evidence to prove that Lt Col Purohit had sourced RDX from Kashmir and assembled the bomb at his residence. On September 29, 2008, a bomb exploded in Malegaon, Nashik district, killing 10 and injuring over 100 people. A case was filed by the Azad Nagar police station but later re-registered by the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in November 2008 and charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) were applied. In January 2009, the ATS filed its first chargesheet followed it with a supplementary chargesheet in April 2011. However, in April 2011, the Ministry of Home Affairs suo motu directed the NIA to take up further investigation of the case. In May 2016, the NIA had filed its second supplementary chargesheet and dropped MCOCA charges against former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi. In December 2017, Special Judge S D Tekale dropped MCOCA charges and charged them under Sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. All the accused are currently on bail.
Economic Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
17 years on, all seven accused acquitted in Malegaon blast case
Synopsis A special NIA court acquitted all seven accused, including Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The court cited a lack of evidence. The blast killed six and injured over 100. Victims' lawyer will appeal the verdict. The court noted the prosecution failed to prove the case. PTI From left: Sameer Kulkarni, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Ajay Rahirkar Mumbai: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, former BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, citing lack of evidence. The blast, which occurred on September 29, 2008, around 9:25 pm in Malegaon, Maharashtra, killed six people and injured 101. The case has remained one of the most high-profile terror investigations in the country, marked by controversy, political debate, and has been under legal scrutiny. Advocate Shahid Nadeem who represented the victims said they will file an independent appeal before the Bombay High Court after reviewing the judgement. ".. the victims continue to suffer from the trauma they experience, and the special NIA court's decision to grant the accused the benefit of the doubt indicates the agency's inability to prose cute effectively," Nadeem said. Special Judge AK Lahoti, delivering the verdict, said the prosecution had 'failed to prove the case' and that the accused 'deserved the benefit of doubt.' 'There has been a grave incident against society,' the judge noted, 'but the court cannot convict merely on moral grounds.' While acquitting Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, the court held there was no credible evidence to establish that she owned the motorcycle allegedly used in the blast. It also noted that she had renounced material possessions and adopted a spiritual life two years before the incident. "The serial number of the chassis was not completely recovered by the forensic experts and, therefore, the prosecution failed to prove that the bike belonged to her," the court observed. On Purohit, the court said that it found no proof that he sourced RDX or assembled the explosive. The court also cleared the Hindu rightwing outfit Abhinav Bharat of any involvement, stating there was no evidence linking the group to terrorist activity. "There is no evidence that Abhinav Bharat was used for terror activity. Material witnesses have not supported the prosecution case. The prosecution has been unsuccessful in proving the meetings took place (for conspiracy)," the court said. The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which named 11 accused and three absconders under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), attributing the attack to Abhinav Bharat. In 2011, the probe was transferred to the NIA, which registered a fresh case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and MCOCA. During its investigation, the agency flagged serious discrepancies in the ATS's evidence, calling the earlier probe riddled with gaps and inconsistencies. A supplementary chargesheet filed by the NIA in 2016 named ten individuals, including Purohit and Major Ramesh Upadhyaya. However, charges against Sadhvi Pragya and three others were dropped for lack of evidence. Over the course of the trial, 323 prosecution witnesses and eight defence witnesses were examined. The court reviewed more than 10,800 documents and 400 seized articles. Nearly 40 prosecution witnesses turned hostile.
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Indian Express
ATS vs NIA probe: Unreliable evidence, contradicting statements
THE PROBE into the Malegaon 2008 blast case by both the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the probe in 2011, was slammed by the special court in Mumbai while acquitting all seven booked in the case. The court said that the prosecution evidence was unreliable and although there was strong suspicion there was not enough evidence to convict the accused. ATS CHARGESHEET The ATS, then led by IPS officer Hemant Karkare, investigated the case first. Karkare was killed in the Mumbai terror attack on November 26, 2008, days after the first arrest in the case. The ATS then filed a chargesheet in the case in January 2009, naming 11 accused. The agency claimed that the accused had held conspiracy meetings in Faridabad, Ujjain, Nashik, Bhopal. It said that witnesses included persons who were in the meetings and who had heard the accused discuss the need to plan an attack in a Muslim-populated area. It had also said that three of the accused had given confessions under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). It claimed that the accused were linked through the Abhinav Bharat organisation, alleging that it was an organised crime syndicate. NIA PROBE The NIA took over the case in 2011, when probes into many terrorist cases were transferred to the federal agency formed after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. In 2016, it filed a supplementary chargesheet, which criticised the ATS probe, even while saying that there was sufficient evidence to proceed against six of the accused, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The NIA's chargesheet stated clearly that it had not been able to collect any additional evidence from the scene of crime, blaming the time-lag in the transfer of the case. The NIA chargesheet did not include any new witnesses, but instead re-recorded statements of some of the witnesses who had given statements before the magistrate in 2008-09, who then denied their previous statements. '…. and the veracity of the evidence collected by the previous investigation agency could not be fully substantiated. The delay in handing over the investigation to NIA also precluded the possibility of obtaining electronic evidence by way of telephone/mobile records which has proved to be a major hurdle in the investigation, especially collection of material evidence to substantiate the statement of various witnesses and accused persons,' the NIA chargesheet said. Before the chargesheet was filed, in an interview to The Indian Express, the special public prosecutor, Rohini Salian, in 2015 had said she was under pressure from the NIA to 'go soft' in the case. Soon after the NDA government came to power last year, she alleged that she got a call from one NIA officer, asking to come over to speak with her. She had subsequently reiterated the same in an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court a few months later, also naming the officer who had approached her. The NIA, however, denied the allegation, claiming that her notification to appear as the prosecutor was to be recalled. Where did the NIA differ from the ATS chargesheet? The NIA claimed that MCOCA could not be invoked in the case as ATS had not followed proper procedure in invoking the Act. It rendered all confessions, which the accused had claimed were due to coercion and torture, inadmissible. The NIA said that there was no evidence to show that accused Pragya Singh Thakur was using the LML motorcycle linked to the blast, even as ATS had arrested her claiming that she had provided the motorcycle for the crime and had also introduced two wanted accused to the other co-accused. The NIA recommended dropping Thakur as an accused but the special court refused to drop her, and she faced the trial. The NIA also re-recorded some statements of witnesses claiming 'contradictions' in the ATS statements. The NIA said that the witness had told them that 'lies were dictated' to him to depose before the Magistrate by the ATS. He claimed that he was dictated to depose that Purohit gave him 3 weapons and ammunition to be kept in his house for 18 months in 2006 and description of the weapons were also dictated. Moreover, the said witness was allegedly asked to say that Purohit had confessed to him about planning and executing the Malegaon blast along with his accomplices. The witnesses whose statements were re-recorded were also among the 39 witnesses who did not support the prosecution case and were declared hostile.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
4 held After Terror Spree in South Nagpur
Nagpur: A transporter by profession, gangster Dilip Thaokar finally landed in the police net along with his aides after terrorising south-eastern Nagpur for two years. The arrest on Wednesday ends the gang's relentless criminal activities, which culminated in a violent rampage that left multiple victims injured. On Wednesday, Thaokar and his gang went berserk, injuring, and looting people across south-east Nagpur. The spree began with the gang robbing a man and assaulting him with a knife on Umrer Road. Emboldened, they barged into the home of a local goon in Adarsh Nagar, stripping him of his valuables. Zonal DCP Rashmitha Rao confirmed that back-to-back dacoity cases were registered, leading to the gang's swift apprehension. The police operation, led by Wathoda police station senior inspector Harish Borade, was meticulously planned with 50 officers. Borade's team mobilised after receiving an alert about Thaokar's activities. "Our beat marshals — constables Milind Thakre, Ramu Titarmare, Shailendra Gaur, and Jeetendra Mangate — chased the gang based on human and technical evidence. We traced their location near Dighori Chowk, where our forces nearly caught them red-handed," Borade said. He emphasised that the police are determined to ensure the gang remains behind bars. Apart from Thaokar, his aides Milind Meshram, Nitin Meshram, and a minor were apprehended near Dighori Chowk. Nitin, an addict, was hospitalised after he started suffering withdrawal symptoms. However, one accomplice managed to flee the scene. The arrests followed a high-alert operation, with Wathoda and Nandanvan police registering multiple dacoity cases within an hour to net Thaokar and his gang. Thaokar, a notorious figure with four murders among 16 offences, rose from a slumlord in Nandanvan to become south-east Nagpur's most feared gangster. Previously arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for the murder of Viju Mohod, Thaokar's reign of terror disrupted law and order across four police jurisdictions: Wathoda, Nandanvan, Sakkardara, and Kuhi in rural Nagpur. Sources revealed that his gang intimidated residents in Dighori, Adarsh Nagar, and surrounding areas, with locals too terrified to file complaints for fear of retribution. The police faced significant challenges in building cases against Thaokar due to the climate of fear he cultivated. However, two molestation charges were recently filed against him based on complaints from his live-in partner, adding to his extensive criminal record. With Thaokar and his key associates now in custody, the police are intensifying efforts to track down the escaped accomplice and ensure the gang remains behind bars.
Mint
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Malegaon blasts case timeline: Here's how things unfolded from 2008 as ex-BJP MP Pragya Thakur and six others acquitted
A special NIA court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. Those cleared of all charges include former MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (also known as Shankaracharya), and Sameer Kulkarni. 'All bail bonds stand cancelled and sureties are discharged,' the court said in its order. The court also directed the Maharashtra government to pay compensation of ₹ 2 lakh each to the families of those killed in the blast and ₹ 50,000 each to those who were injured. The blast took place on September 29 2008, when an explosive device attached to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Bhikku Chowk, Malegaon. Six people lost their lives, and 95 others were injured in the explosion. Initially, 11 people were named as accused in the case, but charges were ultimately framed against only seven of them. September 29, 2008: A bomb planted on a motorcycle goes off at Malegaon in Maharashtra's Nashik district. Six persons killed and 101 injured. September 30, 2008: An FIR is lodged at Azad Nagar Police station in Malegaon. October 21, 2008: Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) takes over the probe into the case. October 23, 2008: ATS makes first arrests in the case. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and three others arrested. ATS claims the blast was carried out by right wing extremists. November 2008: Lt Col Prasad Purohit arrested by ATS for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy of the blast. January 20, 2009: ATS files charge-sheet against 11 arrested accused, including Pragya Thakur and Purohit before special court. Accused are charged under the stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code (IPC). Two persons - Ramji alias Ramchandra Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange are shown as wanted accused. July 2009: Special court says provisions of MCOCA are not applicable in the case and the accused shall be tried by a court in Nashik. August 2009: Maharashtra government moves Bombay High Court in appeal against special court order. July 2010: Bombay High Court overturns special court order and upholds the charges under MCOCA. August 2010: Purohit and Pragya Singh Thakur move Supreme Court against HC order. February 1, 2011: ATS Mumbai arrests another person - Pravin Mutalik. A total of 12 persons arrested by then. April 13, 2011: National Investigation Agency (NIA) takes over the case. February and December 2012: NIA arrests two more persons - Lokesh Sharma and Dhan Singh Chaudhary. Total arrests 14 by then. April 2015: Supreme Court sends back case to special court for reconsideration of applicability of MCOCA. February 2016: NIA tells special court that it has taken the Attorney General's opinion on whether provisions of MCOCA can be applied in the case. May 13, 2016: NIA files charge-sheet before special court. Drops MCOCA charges from the case. Gives clean chit to seven accused. April 25, 2017: Bombay High court grants bail to Pragya Thakur. HC refuses bail to Purohit. September 21, 2017: Purohit gets bail from the Supreme Court. By the end of the year, all arrested accused out on bail. December 27, 2017: Special NIA court discharges accused Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Shyam Sahu and Praveen Mutalik Naik from the case. Court also drops charges related to being members of a terrorist organisation and raising funds for terrorist acts under the UAPA. October 30, 2018: Charges framed against seven accused - Thakur, Purohit, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi. They face trial under UAPA for committing a terrorist act, and under IPC for criminal conspiracy and murder. December 3, 2018: Trial begins with the examination of first witness in the case. September 14, 2023: After examining 323 prosecution witnesses (of which 37 turned hostile), prosecution decides to close its evidence. July 23 ,2024: Examination of defence witnesses (eight) completed. August 12, 2024: Special court records final statements of accused under section 313 of Criminal Procedure Code. Matter posted for final arguments of prosecution and defence. April 19, 2025: Special court closes trial for judgment. July 31, 2025: Special NIA Judge A K Lahoti acquits all seven accused, including Thakur and Purohit, noting there was no "cogent and reliable" evidence to warrant conviction. Court says the prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
