A former BJP MP, two army personnel & others: Who are the 7 people acquitted in the Malegaon bomb blast case?

The 2008 Malegaon blast case ended on Thursday with the acquittal of all seven accused. The case pertained to a blast near a mosque in Malegaon, Nashik district, on September 29, 2008, which killed six people and injured over 100.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court held that there was no evidence to prove charges of terrorism, murder, or criminal conspiracy against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Originally, 14 people were arrested in the case, but only seven went to trial as the rest were discharged when charges were framed.


Here’s a brief profile of the seven acquitted:

1. Pragya Singh Thakur
Initially arrested in October 2008 by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Thakur was accused of owning the motorcycle used in the blast. She was also alleged to have attended a meeting in Bhopal where revenge for the 2006 Malegaon blast was discussed. Despite the NIA seeking to drop charges against her in 2016, a special court ordered her to stand trial. Thakur spent over eight years in jail before being granted bail by the Bombay High Court in April 2017. She later became a BJP MP from Bhopal in 2019 but was not given a ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Also Read: Malegaon bomb blast case explained

2. Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit
Serving in the Indian Army at the time, Purohit was accused of participating in conspiracy meetings. Arrested in November 2008, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2017. During the trial, he alleged custodial torture by ATS officials and claimed the case against him was fabricated.

3. Major Ramesh Upadhyay (Retd)
A retired army officer, Upadhyay was accused of supporting the idea of a “Hindu Rashtra” and allegedly participated in planning meetings in Bhopal.

4. Sameer Kulkarni
Kulkarni was also accused of attending meetings related to the blast conspiracy. He was arrested in October 2008 and received bail from the Bombay High Court in 2017.

Also Read: Malegaon blast case- Court acquits all seven accused including ex-BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Purohit

5. Ajay Rahirkar
Identified as the treasurer of the Abhinav Bharat organisation, Rahirkar was alleged to have raised and distributed funds for weapons and explosives. He was arrested in November 2008 and granted bail in 2011.

6. Sudhakar Dwivedi
Dwivedi was accused of being part of a meeting in Nashik where videos of alleged atrocities against Hindus were shown by co-accused Purohit.

7. Sudhakar Chaturvedi
Also accused of attending the Nashik meeting, Chaturvedi was arrested in November 2008 and granted bail in 2017.