Malegaon blast acquittal: Who is responsible? asks outfit that helped victims

Mumbai: An organisation that helped the families of victims in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has expressed displeasure over the acquittal of seven accused and sought to know if they were not involved in the incident, then who were responsible for it. It also said the court decision has failed to provide justice to those who died in the incident.

An explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in the town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, on September 29, 2008 killing six persons and injuring 101 others.

Nearly 17 years after the blast, a special court here 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.

Talking to PTI, Kul Jamat-e Tanzeem organisation's in-charge Firoz Ahmed Azmi said, "The court's verdict in the Malegaon blast case has left us shocked, because the people who died did not get justice."

After the 2006 bomb blasts in Malegaon, we always demanded that agencies work in the right direction, After the 2008 blast, the then Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare conducted a proper investigation and the case against these accused was established.

He provided all the evidence against them, he said. "We were happy as the investigation was moving in the right direction. Agencies had been working for the last 17 years, so they must have got strong evidence. But the court gave a verdict that has left us shocked," Azmi said.

"People who died in the blast did not get justice, if these people were not responsible for the Malegaon blast then who were involved? Agencies should move ahead and approach the Supreme Court against this verdict to nab the culprits," he said.

In the order passed by special judge A K Lahoti, assigned to hear cases of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) here, flagged several loopholes in the prosecution's case and the investigation carried out, and said the accused persons deserved the benefit of doubt.