Former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur got emotional in the courtroom on Thursday, July 31, after a special NIA court in Mumbai cleared all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

Pragya Shares Her Pain in Court

After the verdict, Pragya Thakur addressed Judge A.K. Lahoti. She recalled the difficult journey she faced for 17 years during the legal proceedings.

“I came to police and I was tortured to the extent of spoiling my life. For 17 years I lived a sanyasi (monk) life. People used to see me as a terrorist. I couldn’t live in grace. Just because I was a sanyasi, I survived. Bhagwan (God) was fighting this case for me,” she said.

She added, “At least this court has listened to me. I have not won the case, but saffron has won. Whoever called bhagwa (saffron) terrorist, God will never forgive them.”

Court Cites Lack of Strong Evidence

The court agreed that a blast had taken place in Malegaon in 2008. However, it said the prosecution failed to prove that the bomb was placed on the motorcycle connected to the accused. Judge Lahoti stated, “Prosecution proved that a blast occurred in Malegaon but failed to prove that bomb was placed in that motorcycle.”

Moreover, the court found issues in the medical records. It said that only 95 people were injured, not 101 as earlier reported. “There was manipulation in some medical certificates,” the judge observed.

All Seven Accused Walk Free

The blast happened on September 29, 2008, near Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon. It killed six people and injured many others.

Initially, the police had charged 11 people. But later, only seven went to trial. The main accused included Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi, and Sameer Kulkarni.

The court acquitted all of them due to lack of convincing evidence.

Victims to Receive Compensation

As part of its order, the court directed the Maharashtra government to pay compensation to the victims. It said the families of those who died should get Rs 2 lakh each. Those injured will receive Rs 50,000 each.