नवीनतम
Bombay HC asks NIA to issue notices to accused in Malegaon Blast
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Bombay High Court has issued directions to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to issue notices to all the acquitted accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
In the previous hearing that was held in September 2025, it was brought to the notice of the court that many accused could not receive the notices due to a technical glitch. Thereupon, the court has directed the investigating agency to issue notices on an urgent basis. The hearing of the case has been adjourned for two weeks.
Six people lost their lives in a bomb blast outside a mosque in Malegaon in 2008, and 101 people were injured. After 17 years, a Special NIA Court on July 31, 2025, acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Pragya Singh Thakur and serving Army Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit. The court cited reasons of improper investigation and lack of evidence.
However, the families of the six people who lost their lives in the blast have challenged this verdict in the Bombay High Court. Taking cognisance of the matter, the High Court has issued notices to all the acquitted and directed them to reply.
Malegaon resident Nisar Sheikh and some others challenged the verdict given by the special NIA court in the High Court. "It is wrong to acquit the accused because the investigating authorities have failed to do their job and citing a lack of proper evidence. The fact is, the agencies have strong evidence showing all of the accused had plotted this attack. These facts were enough to prove that they were accused," Sheikh claimed.
The petition was heard before a bench of Chief Justice Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Akhand. A case was filed against Pragya Singh Thakur, Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi alias Swami Amritanand, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni. This includes offences under the Explosives Act, Arms Act, Anti-Terrorism Act and UAPA. Shyam Sahu, Pravin Takalki, Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange have been declared absconding accused in this case.
This case has been long pending for the last 17 years. A total of 30 witnesses have died before this verdict. Many of those who have been found guilty had told the court that the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) forcibly recorded their statements. The case has witnessed changing hands of different investigating agencies, gone to several benches of judges and important witnesses who have been found guilty.
The government has examined over 100 eyewitnesses in this case, and a total of 323 witnesses have been examined so far. At least 34 people were declared 'unfit' after they changed their testimonies in court.
Singh's lawyer, Kaushik Mhatre, said, "We appeared after the charge notice was served. Since accused numbers six and seven did not appear, the court has directed the police to send them a notice. The court has ordered the police to give the paper book of the petition filed to the accused. The court will hear the case in two weeks. Before the arguments are held, it is necessary to have the technical completion of giving the paper book."
