Malegaon Blast 2008: No Evidence Links Pragya Thakur Or Lt Col Purohit To Bomb Assembly Or RDX

Join Business Today for an in-depth look at the groundbreaking Malegaon Blast Verdict 2025, delivered today, July 31, 2025, by a special NIA court, acquitting all seven accused after 17 years of legal battles. On September 29, 2008, a devastating blast rocked Malegaon town in Nashik, Maharashtra, near a local mosque, claiming 6 lives and injuring over 100 people. The explosion, triggered by an explosive device strapped to an LML Freedom motorcycle, sparked the controversial "Hindu terror" narrative under the then Congress-led UPA government. The seven key accused—Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sameer Kulkarni—faced serious charges of terrorism and murder, a label fiercely contested by them and their families. After 17 years of twists and turns, the NIA court acquitted all seven, citing a lack of concrete evidence. The court highlighted the failure of probe agencies to prove that Col Purohit brought the RDX or assembled the bomb, and there was no solid link between the blast vehicle and Pragya Singh Thakur. In a powerful statement, the court declared, "Terror has no religion," emphasizing that strong narratives must be backed by proof—a critique of the investigation’s shortcomings. The acquitted, including former BJP MP Pragya Thakur, who broke down in court alleging a plot to malign Hinduism, and Purohit, who called himself a wronged patriot, hailed the verdict as the end of a witch hunt. However, the victims’ families, dissatisfied with the outcome, are planning to appeal in the High Court, seeking justice for the lost lives.