Nearly 17 years after the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast killed six and injured over 100, a Special NIA court’s decision to acquit all seven accused—including Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit—has left survivors and victims’ families shattered. According to a report by IANS, the verdict, delivered on Thursday, cited insufficient evidence to convict the accused under UAPA, IPC, and Arms Act charges.
However, the court’s acknowledgment of the blast—evidenced by compensation awards (₹2 lakh for families of the deceased, ₹50,000 for injured)—has only deepened the anguish of those seeking justice. For Malegaon’s Muslim community, the timing of the blast (during Ramzan) and the acquittals have reignited trauma.
“The court admitted lives were lost, yet let the accused walk free. This isn’t justice,” said blast survivor Ansari Ahmad. Qayyum Qasmi, another resident, alleged political interference: “We’ll approach higher courts and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. Past acquittals don’t mean this one is fair.”
Lawyer Shahid Nadeem, representing some victims, clarified that the accused were given the “benefit of doubt,” not a clean chit, and an appeal will be filed in the Bombay High Court. The case, initially probed by Maharashtra ATS and transferred to NIA in 2011, spanned over a lakh of documents and 323 witnesses—34 of whom turned hostile. While the legal battle concludes for the accused, the verdict has intensified scrutiny over India’s counterterror mechanisms and the challenges of prosecuting high-profile cases. For Malegaon’s victims, the fight for accountability is far from over.
(Source: IANS, with ground reporting from Malegaon)
