Seventeen years after the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast claimed six lives, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, citing the absence of reliable and compelling evidence. Among those cleared were Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit and BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur.
According to ANI, Lt Colonel Purohit expressed deep gratitude following the court’s decision. “I am extremely grateful to the country and those who stood by us. I am grateful to the judiciary for understanding the case and delivering justice to all of us. During the fight, the Armed forces stood by me. I have no words to express my gratitude to all of them…”
“This nation gave me the opportunity to serve even earlier. Even after being released on bail, I was given that chance. I am deeply grateful to the Almighty that even now, after being declared innocent, He is giving me another opportunity. I pray that God and our motherland grant such a chance to everyone. They do, it’s we who sometimes fail to make use of it. There is nothing greater than the nation. This is our own country, and we must work for it,” he added, as quoted by news agency IANS.
Terrorism Was Never Saffron, Will Never Be: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stated, “Terrorism was never saffron, is not and will never be.” He welcomed the court’s ruling, while Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde remarked that the judgement had erased the “stigma” cast on the Hindu community.
“Truth is never defeated. After a long battle of seventeen years, a special court has acquitted seven alleged accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case. It is true that justice was delayed, but it has once again been proven that truth is never defeated,” Shinde posted on X.
He further stated, “Colonel Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya, and the other seven individuals had to endure immense mental and physical torment due to these accusations. The Hindu community will never forget this injustice.”
Shinde accused the Congress of “conspiratorially coining” the term ‘Hindu terrorism’, and said, “Hindus can never engage in anti-national activities, because patriotism is a sacred duty for those who follow Hinduism… A dark chapter has ended today. The stigma on the Hindu community has been wiped away. The slogan ‘Say with pride, we are Hindus’ will now resonate across the country with a hundredfold louder voice, there is no doubt about it.”
'Congress Must Apologise': BJP Minister After 2008 Malegaon Blast Case Verdict
Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule alleged that the case had been used as a political weapon to malign Hinduism globally. “The verdict of the special NIA court in the Malegaon bomb blast case was not merely a judicial decision but an exposure of a long-running political conspiracy to defame,” he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
He added, “The court clearly noted that there was no concrete evidence behind any of the allegations. But a more serious matter is that the Congress deliberately used the term Hindu terrorism in its propaganda, attempting to defame the Hindu community and its faith worldwide.”
“A Hindu has never been a terrorist and never will be. The court’s decision today has delivered a resounding slap to those who defamed Hindus,” Bawankule said, demanding an apology from the Congress.
Congress Questions Investigation, Remembers Hemant Karkare
State Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal maintained that terrorism has no religion, and noted that the party has consistently condemned terrorism. “Congress has always condemned terror and demanded strict action against the accused. The Malegaon blast case was investigated by (then ATS chief) late Hemant Karkare, who sacrificed his life for protecting the country,” he said.
He raised concerns about whether the government would challenge the verdict like it did in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case. “If he (Karkare) and late state home minister R R Patil were alive today, what would have been the court verdict? This is what people are thinking,” Sapkal remarked, as per PTI.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant criticised the Chief Minister for his remarks, saying, “Innocent people died in Malegaon blast, and the government could not deliver justice to them, yet the Maharashtra Chief Minister has no regrets. His tweet (post on X) reveals his political mindset.”
He further alleged that the investigation had been politically influenced. “Individuals associated with the BJP and RSS had even labelled a brave officer like martyr Hemant Karkare a traitor. Was it this same political mindset that led to Rohini Salian being asked to take a soft stance against the accused and to slow down the investigation?” Sawant asked. He also pointed out that a witness, Randhir Singh, was later given a ministerial post in Jharkhand.