Twist In Malegaon Blasts Case:  All Accused Including Pragya Thakur Are Innocent

Malegaon/Hyderabad, July 31 (Maxim News): 17 years after the powerful bomb blast in Malegaon, Maharashtra, a special NIA court on Thursday (July 31) acquitted seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit.  The court made strong remarks during its verdict, saying that terrorism has no religion, but no one can be convicted on moral grounds.  

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Pragya Thakur and Purohit along with Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakrar Dhar Dwivedi alias Shankaracharya and Sameer Kulkarni were acquitted.  On September 29, 2008, an explosive device attached to a motorcycle (LML Freedom Bike) exploded in Malegaon, a Muslim-majority town.  The blast, which took place during the holy month of Ramzn, killed six people and injured over 100 others.

The case was initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011.  The ATS alleged that the blast was part of a conspiracy by an organisation called Abhinav Bharat to avenge atrocities committed by Muslims against Hindus in the past.

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The ATS said that Pragya Thakur, who was arrested in 2008, was the owner of the motorcycle used in the blast.  The ATS also alleged that Lt.Col.Purohit, an army officer who worked in military intelligence, helped arrange the explosives and that Abhinav participated in meetings with India.

On Thursday, the court said there was no evidence that Purohit brought RDS and planted the bomb.  Judge AK lahoti said there was no evidence to say that Pragya Thakur was the owner of the vehicle.  The court said that the prosecution had failed to prove that the bike belonged to her as the forensic experts had not fully recovered the chassis serial number.  The court said that Pragya Thakur had become a monk two years before the blast and had given up her material possessions.  (Maxim News) 

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