In a stunning twist, a special NIA court on Thursday discharged all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including former BJP parliamentarian Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit.
The court held there was not enough evidence to prove the charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and some sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The weight of the emotional moment hung heavy. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, visibly shaken, wept openly as the verdict was read out.
With hands clasped together, she spoke to the bench: "I have approached the court in the name of humanity. I was tortured for 13 days. My life was ruined. I was humiliated for 17 years. They called me a terrorist in my own nation."
Thanking the court for its verdict, she further said, "I can speak nothing about those who brought me to this level. I am alive only because I am a sanyasi. Saffron was equated with terrorism -- today, saffron has emerged victorious. Hindutva has emerged victorious. Those who placed Hindutva on the same level as terrorism will never be forgiven.
Lt Colonel Purohit, who too was put to trial in the case, seconded her view, expressing gratitude to the judiciary for the acquittal.
"I start with 'Jai Hind'. My loyalties are with the Indian Army. I have served the nation and will continue to serve it. Even as investigating agencies as an institution may not be wrong, the people in them may be," he said.
Reminding the hardships endured by him since years, Purohit said, "For 17 years, I suffered the punishment. Even after being granted bail, I had to endure. What was done was unjust. Some officers abused their power, and we were their victims. I only hope no ordinary citizen has to face what we have faced. I am grateful to the court."
The court was packed as the verdict was read out. All seven accused were present, as mandated by the court in a prior order.
Apart from the acquittal, the court also directed compensation be paid to the victims: ₹2 lakh to the kin of each person who died due to the explosion, and ₹50,000 to each person who had been injured.
The explosion, which was on the night of September 29, 2008, was near the Bhikku Chowk mosque in the town of Malegaon in Maharashtra's Nashik district, famous for its communal ethos. A bomb, placed on a motorcycle, exploded during the sacred month of Ramzan, barely a week before the Navratri celebration. Six persons lost their lives and over 100 were injured.
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