Verdict in 2008 Malegaon blast case likely on July 31, almost 17 years later

Mumbai: Almost 17 years after a blast killed six persons and left more than 100 injured in Maharashtra's communally sensitive Malegaon town, a special NIA court is likely to deliver its verdict in the case on Thursday.

Seven accused, including BJP leader and former MP Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, faced trial in the case for offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code.

Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni are the other accused in the case.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which conducted the probe into the case, has sought "commensurate punishment" for the accused.

The trial, which started in 2018, got over on April 19, 2025, and the case was reserved for judgement.

Six persons were killed and more than 100 injured when 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.

In its final argument, the NIA submitted that the blast in Malegaon - a town with a sizable Muslim population - was orchestrated by the conspirators to terrorise a section of Muslim community, disrupt essential services, create communal tensions, and threaten the state's internal security.

The NIA has said that based on "relevant, admissible, cogent, trustworthy, wholly reliable and proved evidence" it "conclusively and cogently" established the crucial circumstances to form a complete chain of events.

It was established that the accused were "directly involved in the part of larger conspiracy hatched amongst themselves and (were) instrumental in causing a bomb explosion," the prosecution contended.

The blast took place during the holy month of Ramzan, just before the Navratri festival, the NIA pointed out, claiming the intention of the accused was to strike terror in a section of the Muslim community.

The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) before being transferred to the NIA in 2011.

The trial in the case began in 2018 after the court framed charges against the seven accused.

The charges comprised UAPA sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit terrorist act) and various IPC sections, including 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 153 (a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups).

During the trial, the prosecution presented 323 witnesses, of whom 37 turned hostile.

Thakur, in her final statement, submitted that her implication in the case is "totally illegal, bad in law and contrary to the law of the land and with malafide intention and ulterior motive".

Citing the testimony of Mohan Kulkarni, an ATS officer who was part of the probe, Thakur claimed his statement "clearly shows she is an innocent person".

Further referring to the officer's testimony, the BJP leader alleged she has been "implicated in this case by manipulating evidence with a prejudiced mind as it was pre-decided to implicate her".

Purohit has submitted that "there is no material evidence" linking him to the alleged offence.

"The prosecution's case rests on fabricated and contradictory witness statements that are devoid of any independent corroboration and fail to meet the evidentiary threshold required in law," his final arguments claimed.

He alleged the investigation was "tainted by serious procedural irregularities and a complete disregard for standard legal protocols".

"These lapses not only vitiate the fairness of the proceedings but also render the prosecution's case wholly speculative and unreliable," he added.

The other accused, too, have made similar submissions.

The intervenor, representing the victims' side, contended the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case "is a classic example where the defense lacks a reasoned argument".

"Some of the accused claim the bombing never happened, while others blame it on SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India). Each of the seven accused has advanced different and often conflicting defenses which are contrary to each other's claim which itself strengthens the case of prosecution," the victims said in their final submission.

The present prosecuting agency, NIA, has established beyond reasonable doubt the involvement of all the accused in the bomb blast, they submitted.