A special court in Mumbai is expected to pronounce its verdict in the Malegaon blast case today. In 2008, a bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded at a busy junction in Malegaon, killing six people and injuring 101 others.
This was the first terror attack in the country in which a group of alleged Hindu extremists, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur (55) and a serving army officer, Lt Col Prasad Purohit (53), were prosecuted. The blast took place on September 29, 2008, during the month of Ramadan, in a Muslim-dominated area in Malegaon.
The trial, which started in 2018, got over on April 19, 2025, and the case was reserved for judgement. The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) before being transferred to the NIA in 2011.
Seven accused, including BJP leader and former MP Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, faced trial in the case for offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, and the Indian Penal Code. Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni are the other accused.
Here is a timeline:
September 29, 2008: A bomb planted on a motorcycle explodes near a mosque at Bhiku Chowk in Maharashtra’s Malegaon, killing six people and injuring over 100. The incident takes place during the holy month of Ramzan and before Navratri.
2008-2009: The big twist
The Maharashtra ATS, led by Hemant Karkare, takes over the investigation and, for the first time in India, it is alleged that the blast was carried out by individuals linked to Hindu right-wing groups.
October 2008: Now a BJP leader, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit of the Indian Army are arrested. The two are alleged to have links to Abhinav Bharat, a Hindu right-wing group, and suspected of carrying out a “revenge attack” on the Muslim community.
November 2008: Evidence, including the motorcycle used in the blast allegedly owned by Thakur, is recovered. Chief investigator of the case and special IGP Hemant Karkare is killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
2009-2011: The politics of it
The ATS widens its net and makes more arrests, including other right-wing activists like Dayanand Pandey, Sameer Kulkarni, and Ajay Rahirkar. But there is massive political backlash as Hindutva outfits accuse the probe of being politically motivated.
January 2009: The ATS files its first chargesheet naming 11 accused and three wanted persons, with Thakur and Lt Col Purohit as key conspirators. Charges include provisions of the UAPA, IPC, and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
July 31, 2009: MCOCA charges are dropped by a special court citing lack of evidence related to other cases against the accused.
July 19, 2010: The Bombay High Court reinstates MCOCA charges.
April 13, 2011: The case is transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
2016-2017: NIA investigation, key accused released
In a significant development, the NIA drops MCOCA charges from its supplementary chargesheet and accuses the ATS of planting evidence and coercing confessions. In 2017, the key accused in the case – Thakur and Lt Col Purohit – are granted bail.
May 13, 2016: The NIA files a supplementary chargesheet, dropping MCOCA charges stating that the application of the law by the ATS is questionable. It alleges that the ATS planted evidence and used coercive tactics during questioning.
April 25, 2017: The Bombay High Court grants bail to Thakur on health grounds.
August 21, 2017: The Supreme Court grants bail to Lt Col Purohit after nine years in jail.
December 27, 2017: MCOCA charges are dropped but a special court refuses to discharge Thakur and six other accused, ordering them to face trial under the UAPA, IPC, and the Explosive Substances Act.
2018 to present: Trial and verdict
The trial in the case began 10 years after the tragic incident with the verdict now set to be delivered 17 years later.
October 30, 2018: Charges are framed against seven accused, including Thakur and Lt Col Purohit.
December 2018: Trial formally begins.
September 2023: Prosecution closes its evidence, having examined 323 witnesses with 37 turning hostile.
April 19, 2025: Final arguments conclude, and the court reserves its judgment.
July 31, 2025: Verdict awaited.
(With inputs from News 18)
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