Shortly after a special court acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including former BJP MP Pragya Thakur, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi asked a question: “Who killed the six people?”

The court’s verdict came nearly 17 years after a powerful bomb tore through Maharashtra’s Malegaon, killing six people and injuring more than a hundred. The blast occurred on the night of September 29 2008, near Bhikku Chowk in the communally tense town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, during the holy month of Ramzan. The court said that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations in the case and that all seven accused deserve the benefit of doubt.

Responding to the court’s verdict, Mr Owaisi stated: “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.”

“17 years after the blast, the Court has acquitted all of the accused for lack of evidence. Will the Modi & Fadnavis governments appeal the judgment the way they swiftly demanded stay in the Mumbai train blasts acquittals? Will Maharashtra’s ‘secular’ political parties demand accountability? Who killed the 6 people?” he added.

1. 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.

2. 17 years after the blast, the Court… — Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 31, 2025

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The AIMIM leader said that in 2016, Rohini Salian, the then prosecutor in the case, went on record to say that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) asked her to “go soft” on the accused. He also mentioned Hemant Karkare, the former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief who was later killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

“Remember, in 2016 the then prosecutor in the case Rohini Salian went on record to say that NIA had asked her to “go soft” on the accused. Remember, in 2017, NIA had tried to get Sadhvi Pragya acquitted. The same person would go on to be a BJP MP in 2019. Karkare had uncovered the conspiracy in Malegaon & was unfortunately killed by Pakistani terrorists in the 26/11 attacks. The BJP MP went on record saying that she had cursed him and his death was a consequence of his curse,” Mr Owaisi said.

Seven people were put on trial over the deadly blast, including Pragya Thakur. former army officer Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni.

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Pronouncing its verdict today, the court said that the prosecution successfully proved that the blast did take place, but the NIA failed to establish that the bomb was fitted in the motorcycle.

The court said that although there are allegations that RDX was used to cause the explosion, there is no evidence that the RDX was stored at Lt Col Purohit’s residence, and neither is there any proof that he assembled the bomb. It added that there is also no evidence to prove that the bike in question was owned by Pragya Thakur.

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The court also noted discrepancies in medical certificates and documentation related to the custody and treatment of some accused, citing “manipulation” in some instances. The court held that “suspicion is not sufficient ground for conviction”, and the benefit of the doubt must go to the accused.

“Will NIA/ATS officers be held accountable for their faulty investigation? I think we know the answer. This is the ‘tough on terror’ Modi government. The world will remember that it made a terror accused a Member of Parliament,” Mr Owaisi said.