The Bombay High Court has issued notices to those acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, following an appeal by victims' families, raising questions about the investigation and seeking convictions.
"You (appellants) have to indicate whether they were witnesses or not. Give us details. This is not an open gate for everyone," the HC said and posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.
Family members of victims of the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast have challenged the acquittal of the accused, including Pragya Singh Thakur and Prasad Purohit, in the Bombay High Court, citing faulty investigation and the nature of conspiracy.
Soon after the verdict, celebrations broke out outside Lt Colonel Purohit's residence, where supporters burst firecrackers and distributed sweets to mark the court's decision.
Here's the list of the seven accused who faced trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
A detailed timeline of the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, from the initial explosion to the acquittal of all accused in 2025.
A Special NIA court in Mumbai has reserved the judgment in the 2008 Malegaon blast case for July 31. The court said the case has voluminous documents and needs time to deliver the verdict. The blast, which occurred in September 2008, killed six people and injured over 100. Seven accused, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit and BJP leader Pragya Thakur, are facing trial in the case.
For the first time a serving army officer was accused of terrorism.
A special NIA court is likely to deliver its verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, which killed six persons and injured over 100. Seven accused, including Pragya Thakur and Prasad Purohit, face charges under UAPA and IPC.
A special court acquitted seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, citing a lack of cogent and reliable evidence. The court emphasized that mere suspicion cannot replace real proof and highlighted loopholes in the prosecution's case.
Nearly 17 years after a blast in Malegaon town of north Maharashtra claimed six lives, a special court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all the seven accused, including former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, noting there was 'no reliable and cogent evidence' against them.
A special court in India has reserved its verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, which killed six people and injured over 100. The trial began nearly 17 years after the bombing in the town of Malegaon, located in Maharashtra. The prosecution concluded its final arguments on Saturday, marking the end of the hearings. Seven individuals, including Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit and BJP leader Pragya Thakur, are facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The verdict is expected to be delivered on May 8th.
The prosecution has proved the entire chain that connected the accused with each other for achieving the goal of executing the bomb blast and perform terrorist acts, the written statement, filed by the intervenor for the victims, said.
On September 29, 2008, a bomb explosion at 9:35pm opposite Shakil Goods Transport Company situated between Anjuman Chowk and Bhiku Chowk in Malegaon killed six persons and injured 101.
Thakur, seated in the witness box, got visibly emotional at one point and the proceedings were halted for ten minutes.
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Wednesday issued a bailable warrant against an officer of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for not appearing before it in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
The hotelier from Panchmarhi, during his deposition in the court of Special NIA Judge PR Sitre, denied making any statement to the probe agencies, said special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal.
As per information available, more than 100 witnesses are yet to be examined.
A witness who is a former army official turned hostile in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast trial in Mumbai on Thursday.
The victims of the 2008 Malegaon blast case have written to the chief justice and registrar of Bombay high court requesting them to extend the tenure of special NIA judge PR Sitre, who has been presiding over the trial since August 2020.
The witness deposed before the special National Investigation Agency court on Tuesday.
The Bombay high court on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of 2008 Malegaon blast accused Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit but allowed liberty to co-accused Ajay Rahirkar on certain conditions.
Thakur sought exemption on the ground she is a Member of Parliament and has to attend the parliament on a day-to-day basis.
The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court on Tuesday remanded Ajay Rahirkar, accused in the September 29 Malegaon blast and the treasurer of right wing group Abhinav Bharat, to police custody till December 20. Eight other accused including prime accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur were sent to judicial custody till December 29. The prosecution had sought Rahirkar's custody on the grounds that Rahirkar transferred funds from Abhinav Bharat's treasury.
Terming the invocation of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against them as inappropriate, Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit and Abhinav Bharat treasurer Ajay Rahirkar, both accused in the September 29 Malegaon blast case, on Saturday moved the special MCOCA court seeking bail.Purohit and Rahirkar, in their bail applications, claimed that the Anti-Terrorism Squad had no evidence linking them to the blast and that they have nothing to do with the case.
The special MCOCA court on Tuesday directed the state to file its reply to the allegations of physical torture levelled by sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Purohit and others accused in the Malegaon blast case
Thakur, who is one of the seven accused in the case being probed by the NIA, appeared before the court on Monday. On Tuesday, Special Judge P R Sitre granted exemption to Thakur after her lawyer J P Mishra filed a written application, citing the MP's difficulty in travelling in Mumbai regularly due to health and security concerns.
It discharged three accused -- Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra and Praveen Takalki -- from the case.
The NIA has recorded the statement of the owner of a hotel in Panchmarhi in this regard.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has rubbished allegations in the Supreme Court that Salian was pressurised by the National Investigation Agency to 'go slow' in the case.
The bench refused Purohit's request for staying the proceedings in the trial court, noting that in the past, both the Supreme Court and the Bombay HC had passed orders directing the trial court to expedite the hearing in the case.
The court had on October 30 framed charges in the case against all the seven accused for terror activities, criminal conspiracy and murder, among others.
The accused persons had approached the apex court challenging the denial of their bail,.
A bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre asked the Centre and NIA to file their responses within one week.
Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.
A Supreme Court judge on Friday recused from hearing a plea against removal of Special Public Prosecutor by NIA in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, saying that he had represented certain accused in the matter.
Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.
He said he's languishing in jail for nine years without even charges being framed against him.
Vaihayasi Pande Daniel reports on all the action that unfolded at the NIA court hearing the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
However, the certified copy of the said order was issued by the court only on May 1, 2015.
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