Malegaon Blast Case verdict sparks strong reaction from Asaduddin Owaisi as he questions the acquittal of all accused, asking, “Who killed the 6 people?”
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NEW DELHI: Soon after a special court acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP MP Pragya Thakur, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi questioned,
“Who killed the six people?”
ALSO READ: Timeline Of 17-Year Long Trial: 2008 Malegaon Blast Case Got A Closure Today
Reacting strongly to the verdict, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the very foundation of the acquittals:
“The Malegaon blast case verdict is disappointing. Six namazis were killed in the blast and nearly 100 were injured. They were targeted for their religion. A deliberately shoddy investigation/prosecution is responsible for the acquittal.”
Owaisi asked the central and Maharashtra state governments whether they would challenge the acquittals with the same urgency shown in other terror cases, such as the Mumbai train blasts. He also called out the so-called secular parties in Maharashtra, asking:
“Will Maharashtra’s ‘secular’ political parties demand accountability? Who killed the 6 people?”
A special court has acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP MP Pragya Thakur and Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, nearly 17 years after the blast that claimed six lives and injured over a hundred. The explosion had occurred near Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon, Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008, during the holy month of Ramzan, in a town already known for its communal sensitivities.
The court ruled that while it was proven that the blast took place and RDX was used, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) failed to establish a direct link between the accused and the crime. It found no conclusive evidence tying the accused to the assembly of the bomb, possession of RDX, or ownership of the motorcycle used in the explosion. The judgment was underscored by critical observations on discrepancies in prosecution records, manipulation of documents, and gaps in custody and medical records.
The Malegaon case has been in controversy for over a decade, with accusations of political interference, slow trials, and investigative lapses. Owaisi pointed to Rohini Salian, the former Special Public Prosecutor, who in 2016 stated that she was instructed by the NIA to “go soft” on the accused. The most serious allegation from Owaisi is that the system protected the accused rather than securing justice for the victims.
He also reminded the public of Hemant Karkare, the then ATS chief who had played a crucial role in investigating the blast. Karkare was later killed in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and Owaisi did not hold back in highlighting BJP MP Pragya Thakur’s past comments suggesting that Karkare died due to her “curse”.
“The world will remember that [the Modi government] made a terror accused a Member of Parliament,”
Owaisi said, pointing to Pragya Thakur’s 2019 election to the Lok Sabha.
Case Title: Maharashtra vs Pragyasingh Chandrapalsingh Thakur
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