Malegaon 2008 blast case: Bombay HC Admits victims’ families’ appeal against acquittal; issues notice to Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and others

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court has admitted an appeal filed by the families of victims of the 2008 Malegaon blast, challenging the acquittal of all seven accused, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit.As per news agency ANI, the court has issued notices to the respondents — the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the acquitted accused — and scheduled the matter for hearing after six weeks.The appeal has been filed by one Nisar Ahmed Sayyed Bilal and five other family members through advocate Mateen Shaikh. The petitioners have urged the court to quash the special NIA court’s judgment dated July 31, which acquitted all seven accused.

On September 29, 2008, a bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring 101. The blast, which took place during the holy month of Ramzan, was alleged by investigators to be the handiwork of right-wing extremist groups targeting the Muslim community in the communally sensitive town.In its verdict earlier this year, the special NIA court held that “mere suspicion cannot replace real proof” and observed that the prosecution had failed to produce cogent and reliable evidence.

Special judge AK Lahoti extended the benefit of doubt to the accused, citing loopholes in the investigation.Besides Thakur and Purohit, those acquitted were Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni. Only one accused, Pravin Takalki, was convicted under the Arms Act.(With agency inputs)