Mumbai: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai has postponed its verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, and instead, will most likely pronounce its judgment on 31 July this year.
Special judge A.K. Lahoti said Thursday that the records and evidence in the Malegaon blast case were voluminous, and he required more time.
“The arguments in the case were closed in April itself. Today (Thursday) was judgment day. But since the matter is huge and voluminous, the documentation is about one lakh pages, I require some time. The next date, i.e., 31 July, I want all the accused to be present. If any accused remains absent, there will be legal action against them,” A.K. Lahoti said.
Seventeen years ago, on 29 September 2008, explosives strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon near Nashik, killing six people and injuring over 100 others.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) first investigated the Malegaon blast case, which the NIA later took over. Though 14 persons were initially charged, by the end of the arguments, there were seven accused.
The seven accused eventually named in the Malegaon blast case were BJP’s ex-MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi.
They face charges of criminal conspiracy and murder, among others, under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code (IPC) and of conspiring for and committing or organising a terror act under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 (UAPA), as well as charges under the Explosive Substances Act 1908.
Speaking to the media, advocate J.P. Mishra, who represents Pragya Thakur, said, “Today (Thursday), only the accused had to be present. I knew it (judgment) would not be pronounced today since it’s bulky. Whatever punishment the NIA wants for the accused, it (the punishment) is not decided based on what we or it wants. The court decides based on the evidence. I believe the judgment will come on 31 July—when the world will know who is innocent or responsible.”
Maharashtra ATS had filed two charge sheets in the Malegaon blast case by 2010, but the newly formed NIA took over the probe in 2011. The NIA filed the supplementary chargesheet in 2016.
The NIA, from its end, exonerated Pragya Thakur; its chargesheet said there was not enough evidence against her. In 2017, the NIA special court dropped the charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act 1999 (MCOCA) against the accused but did not absolve Thakur, who still faces the charges.
The trial in the NIA special court started in December 2018. The final arguments ended on 19 April 2025, with the judgment reserved for 8 May 2025.
Last month, special judge A.K. Lahoti was given an extension till 31 August this year after an initial proposal for his transfer, slated for June this year as part of the annual general transfers of judges. In April this year, he approached the Bombay High Court, seeking more time for the Malegaon blast verdict, with the HC giving him the extension.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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not to mention that the then nia officer incharge of this case, heman karkare was eliminated in 26/11 ambush