Families Challenge Acquittal in 2008 Malegaon Blasts Case: Bombay High Court Admits Appeal
Mumbai’s Bombay High Court has taken a big step in the long-running 2008 Malegaon blasts case. On Thursday, the court admitted an appeal from the families of the victims and sent notices to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the seven accused who got acquitted earlier this month. This move keeps the fight for justice alive after 17 years of investigations and trials.
Remember the tragic Malegaon blasts? They happened on September 29, 2008, near a mosque in Malegaon town, Nashik district, Maharashtra. A powerful explosion killed six people and injured over 100 others. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) first handled the probe, but it shifted to the NIA in 2011. The case targeted alleged members of the Hindu right-wing group Abhinav Bharat, including high-profile names like Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit.
The appeal came from family members of the six victims who died in the blasts. They filed it on September 9, right after a special NIA court acquitted all seven accused on all charges—from the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to the Arms Act. The families aren’t buying the court’s decision. They say the investigation was full of flaws, and the NIA mishandled key evidence, making the prosecution’s case weak.
In simple terms, the families argue that conspiracy cases like this often depend on circumstantial evidence, not just direct proof. They claim the NIA special public prosecutor faced pressure to drag out the trial and go easy on the accused. Plus, they point out that crucial evidence got ignored or tampered with during the probe.
A division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and RR Bhosale heard the appeal and decided to let it move forward. They’ve scheduled the next hearing in six weeks and issued notices to everyone involved—the NIA, the acquitted accused, and others. Interestingly, the NIA itself hasn’t filed any appeal yet against the acquittal.
Let’s recap what the special NIA court said in its verdict. After grilling 323 prosecution witnesses and 8 defense ones, the judge, Abhay Lohati, ruled there wasn’t enough solid evidence to convict anyone. The court accepted that a blast did happen in Malegaon, but prosecutors couldn’t prove the bomb was planted on that specific motorcycle. They also found issues like manipulated medical certificates—turning the injury count from 101 to just 95—and no reliable fingerprints, dump data, or spot sketches from the scene. Samples were contaminated, so forensic reports didn’t hold up.
On Lt Col Purohit’s home, the court found zero proof of explosives being stored or assembled there. And regarding Abhinav Bharat, there was no evidence that the group’s funds went toward terror activities.
This appeal could shake things up in the Malegaon blasts case, as victims’ families push for a fresh look at the evidence. For now, the Bombay High Court will dive deeper into these claims. Stay tuned for updates on this major Maharashtra terror case development.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
