2 decades later, all 4 accused discharged in 2006 Malegaon blast case that killed 37

Nearly two decades after the 2006 Malegaon blasts that killed 37 people and injured over 100, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday discharged all four accused in the case, leaving the investigation without any individuals facing trial.

A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Shyam Chandak allowed the appeals filed by the accused, bringing an end, for now, to the prosecution initiated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The detailed order is awaited.

The September 8, 2006 blasts occurred at a Muslim cemetery in Malegaon, in Nashik district, during Shab-e-Baraat.

In the immediate aftermath, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested nine Muslim men. However, a special MCOCA court granted them bail in 2012. The case, initially probed by the ATS, was handed over to the CBI in 2007, which supported the state agency’s findings at the time.

Years later, the probe took a dramatic turn when the NIA took over and arrested four different accused, alleging a separate conspiracy. These four were subsequently chargesheeted and later granted bail by the High Court.

COURT QUESTIONS EVIDENCE, PROBE GAPS

During the hearing, the defence argued that the NIA’s case lacked crucial evidence. Lawyers pointed out that there were no eyewitnesses, no recoveries linking the accused to the crime, and no forensic confirmation supporting claims that explosives were manufactured at the alleged site.

They also flagged procedural lapses, including a Test Identification Parade conducted over six years after the incident, and questioned the reliability of witness statements.

Significantly, an NIA official confirmed in court that there were no eyewitnesses in the case.

CONFESSIONS, FORENSICS UNDER SCRUTINY

The defence further argued that confessional statements, particularly those linked to Swami Aseemanand, had already been rejected by a special NIA court in Hyderabad, weakening the prosecution’s theory.

They also highlighted that soil samples from a Madhya Pradesh location, where explosives were allegedly prepared, did not contain traces of RDX, casting further doubt on the charges.

FAMILIES STILL SEEK ANSWERS

For victims’ families, the verdict underscores a long-standing sense of injustice. Shafique Ahmed, who lost his son in the blast, had intervened in the case to assist the prosecution.

With the discharge of the four accused, the case now stands at a dead end, with no one held accountable for one of Maharashtra’s deadliest terror attacks.

- Ends