2008 Malegaon Blast Case: NIA Court acquits all 7 accused

July 31, 2025

On Thursday, the NIA court acquitted all seven accused, including Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, in the Malegaon blast case of Maharashtra. This decision came after 17 years. Judge AK Lahoti said that it was not proved that the bike in which the blast took place was in the name of Sadhvi Pragya. It could also not be proved that Colonel Prasad Purohit made the bomb. No angle of conspiracy was proved.

#WATCH | NIA Court acquits all accused in Malegaon blast case, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Colonel Purohit and others. Accused acquitted of all charges of UAPA, Arms Act and other charges.

(Visuals from outside the Court) pic.twitter.com/wF9CoZrYJx

— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2025

The Malegaon blasts took place on 29 September 2008. The accused former BJP MP Pragya Thakur, Colonel Prasad Purohit, Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Sameer Kulkarni, and Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi were in court.

Six people were killed and several others injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City, Nashik.

6 people died in this blast, whereas about 101 people were injured. It was revealed that people associated with Hindu right-wing groups were behind this blast. The initial investigation of this case was done by the Maharashtra ATS. In 2011, the case was handed over to NIA. The NIA filed a chargesheet in 2016.

Compensation announced for victims 

The families of all six victims of the blast will be given Rs 2 lakh each, and all injured victims will be given Rs 50,000 as compensation, said NIA Court.

Three investigative agencies and four judges have changed in this case. Earlier, the verdict was to come on 8 May 2025, but later it was reserved till 31 July.

Terrorism has no religion: NIA Court