Former MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, acquitted of terror charges in the Malegaon blast case on July 31 after nearly 17 years, made a shocking claim on Saturday, stating that she was “tortured and forced by the investigators to name Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP chief minister Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and others in the case”. The former Bhopal MP said she did not name them, as it was “a clear attempt to coerce her into lying”. Thakur was acquitted along with Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit and five others by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday.The judgment in the case also revealed that a witness who had turned hostile also claimed that he was forced to implicate Yogi Adityanath and four others linked to the RSS, including Indresh Kumar, a senior functionary.&nbsp;<h2>‘Take these names, and we won’t beat you’</h2>&nbsp;“They made me name several people, including Ram Madhav. To do all of this, they tortured me. My lungs gave up... I was detained in a hospital illegally. All of this will be shared in the story I am writing. The truth cannot be buried. I lived in Gujarat, so they also asked me to name Prime Minister Modi (who was then Gujarat's chief minister). I did not take anyone’s name because they were trying to make me lie,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thakur further claimed that she was also pressured to name Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Mohan Bhagwat and Indresh Kumar.“They said, ‘Take these names, and we won’t beat you’,” she alleged. She also accused the Congress of fabricating the case.&nbsp;Apart from Sadhvi Pragya and Lt. Col. Purohit, those acquitted were Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya) and Sameer Kulkarni.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>What was the Malegaon blast case?</h2>&nbsp;On September 29, 2008, an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Muslim-dominated Malegaon during the holy month of Ramzan, killing six people and injuring over 100.&nbsp;The ATS had alleged that the motorcycle used in the blast belonged to Thakur, while Lt Col Purohit brought the RDX from Jammu and Kashmir and stored it in his house.&nbsp;The investigation, initially led by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) under the late Hemant Karkare, led to the arrest of Thakur and Purohit. The ATS alleged the involvement of “saffron extremists” and linked the accused to a larger conspiracy, including other blast cases.&nbsp;The case was transferred to the NIA in 2011. The NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet in May 2016, accusing the ATS of planting RDX traces to frame Purohit.

The Maharashtra ATS alleged that the motorcycle used in the Malegaon blast belonged to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, while Lt Col Purohit brought the RDX from Jammu and Kashmir and stored it in his house. The ATS alleged the involvement of “saffron extremists” and a larger conspiracy.

Former MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, acquitted of terror charges in the Malegaon blast case on July 31 after nearly 17 years, made a shocking claim on Saturday, stating that she was “tortured and forced by the investigators to name Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP chief minister Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and others in the case”. The former Bhopal MP said she did not name them, as it was “a clear attempt to coerce her into lying”. Thakur was acquitted along with Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit and five others by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday. The judgment in the case also revealed that a witness who had turned hostile also claimed that he was forced to implicate Yogi Adityanath and four others linked to the RSS, including Indresh Kumar, a senior functionary. ‘Take these names, and we won’t beat you’ “They made me name several people, including Ram Madhav. To do all of this, they tortured me. My lungs gave up... I was detained in a hospital illegally. All of this will be shared in the story I am writing. The truth cannot be buried. I lived in Gujarat, so they also asked me to name Prime Minister Modi (who was then Gujarat's chief minister). I did not take anyone’s name because they were trying to make me lie,” she said. Thakur further claimed that she was also pressured to name Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Mohan Bhagwat and Indresh Kumar. “They said, ‘Take these names, and we won’t beat you’,” she alleged. She also accused the Congress of fabricating the case. Apart from Sadhvi Pragya and Lt. Col. Purohit, those acquitted were Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya) and Sameer Kulkarni. What was the Malegaon blast case? On September 29, 2008, an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Muslim-dominated Malegaon during the holy month of Ramzan, killing six people and injuring over 100. The ATS had alleged that the motorcycle used in the blast belonged to Thakur, while Lt Col Purohit brought the RDX from Jammu and Kashmir and stored it in his house. The investigation, initially led by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) under the late Hemant Karkare, led to the arrest of Thakur and Purohit. The ATS alleged the involvement of “saffron extremists” and linked the accused to a larger conspiracy, including other blast cases. The case was transferred to the NIA in 2011. The NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet in May 2016, accusing the ATS of planting RDX traces to frame Purohit.

The Maharashtra ATS alleged that the motorcycle used in the Malegaon blast belonged to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, while Lt Col Purohit brought the RDX from Jammu and Kashmir and stored it in his house. The ATS alleged the involvement of “saffron extremists” and a larger conspiracy.

‘I was tortured to name PM Modi, Yogi and Bhagwat in Malegaon case,’ says Sadhvi Pragya

An Indian court on Thursday (July 31) acquitted all seven accused in Malegaon blast case, one of India's longest terror trials. The Natinonal Investigation Agency (NIA) court said the families of all six victims of the 2008 blast in will be given Rs 200,000 each, and all injured victims will be given Rs 50,000 as compensation.<h2>About the Malegaon blast case&nbsp;</h2>The blast took place in the Malegaon town in Nashik district of the western state of Maharashtra on 29 September 2008. The accused include former parliamentarian Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit.<h2>What the NIA court said about the Malegaon blast&nbsp;</h2>The NIA court said that while the prosecution proved that a blast occurred in Malegaon, it failed to prove that a bomb was placed in a motorcycle. The court concluded that the injured people were not 101 but 95, and there was manipulation in some medical certificates.&nbsp;It also noted that the ‘Abhinav Bharat’ organisation was used as a common reference by the prosecution, even as there was no evidence that the funds of this Hindu organiastion was used for terror activities. &nbsp;There is no evidence of storing or assembling the explosives in Shrikant Prasad Purohit's residence, the court said. &nbsp;The court also noted that no sketch of the spot was done by the investigation officer and no fingerprint, dump data or anything else was collected for the spot.The samples were contaminated, so the reports can’t be conclusive and are not reliable, it added.&nbsp;The bike allegedly involved in the blast did not have a clear chassis number and prosecution could not prove that it was in Sadhvi Pragya’s possession immediately before the blast, said the court.&nbsp;<h2>Why the Malegaon blast case is unique: One of the longest terror cases with large amount of evidence shared</h2>The Malegaon blast was one of the cases touted as ‘Hindu terror’ by a section of the Indian media. It is one of the most complex and politically sensitive terror trials in recent memory.In the nearly two decades of the case, more than 10,800 exhibits were submitted, and 404 articles were seized and tagged as evidence. The NIA court examined 323 prosecution witnesses and eight defence witnesses. Nearly 40 witnesses turned hostile, including some key ones linked to the early Anti-terror Squad (ATS) probe. The trial was heard by five different NIA judges. The prosecution submitted its final written arguments in three volumes, totalling more than 1,300 pages, in April 2025.&nbsp;Both sides were allowed rebuttals, and the verdict was reserved on April 19 before the rulding on Thursday.

The Malegaon blast was one of the cases touted as ‘Hindu terror’ by a section of the Indian media. It is one of the most complex and politically sensitive terror trials in recent memory.

An Indian court on Thursday (July 31) acquitted all seven accused in Malegaon blast case, one of India's longest terror trials. The Natinonal Investigation Agency (NIA) court said the families of all six victims of the 2008 blast in will be given Rs 200,000 each, and all injured victims will be given Rs 50,000 as compensation. About the Malegaon blast case The blast took place in the Malegaon town in Nashik district of the western state of Maharashtra on 29 September 2008. The accused include former parliamentarian Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit. What the NIA court said about the Malegaon blast The NIA court said that while the prosecution proved that a blast occurred in Malegaon, it failed to prove that a bomb was placed in a motorcycle. The court concluded that the injured people were not 101 but 95, and there was manipulation in some medical certificates. It also noted that the ‘Abhinav Bharat’ organisation was used as a common reference by the prosecution, even as there was no evidence that the funds of this Hindu organiastion was used for terror activities. There is no evidence of storing or assembling the explosives in Shrikant Prasad Purohit's residence, the court said. The court also noted that no sketch of the spot was done by the investigation officer and no fingerprint, dump data or anything else was collected for the spot. The samples were contaminated, so the reports can’t be conclusive and are not reliable, it added. The bike allegedly involved in the blast did not have a clear chassis number and prosecution could not prove that it was in Sadhvi Pragya’s possession immediately before the blast, said the court. Why the Malegaon blast case is unique: One of the longest terror cases with large amount of evidence shared The Malegaon blast was one of the cases touted as ‘Hindu terror’ by a section of the Indian media. It is one of the most complex and politically sensitive terror trials in recent memory. In the nearly two decades of the case, more than 10,800 exhibits were submitted, and 404 articles were seized and tagged as evidence. The NIA court examined 323 prosecution witnesses and eight defence witnesses. Nearly 40 witnesses turned hostile, including some key ones linked to the early Anti-terror Squad (ATS) probe. The trial was heard by five different NIA judges. The prosecution submitted its final written arguments in three volumes, totalling more than 1,300 pages, in April 2025. Both sides were allowed rebuttals, and the verdict was reserved on April 19 before the rulding on Thursday.

The Malegaon blast was one of the cases touted as ‘Hindu terror’ by a section of the Indian media. It is one of the most complex and politically sensitive terror trials in recent memory.

Why the Malegaon blast case, one of India's longest terror trials, is unique

A special NIA court in Mumbai announced its verdict on Thursday in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, nearly 17 years after the tragic incident. The court gave a verdict that a blast took place in Malegaon, but failed to prove that a bomb was placed in that motorcycle. Additionally, the court also concluded that the injured people were not 101 but only 95, and there was manipulation in some medical certificates, as per the news agency ANI report.&nbsp;All seven accused were acquitted of all charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Arms Act, and other charges by the Special NIA court, including Sadhvi Pragya, a former Member of Parliament from Bhopal, and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The court, in its verdict, said that the prosecution failed to prove the case and the accused deserves the benefit of the doubt.<h3>What is the 2008 Malegaon blast case?</h3>The incident occurred during the holy month of Ramzan, just before the Navratri festival on September 29, 2008, when an explosive device attached to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque at the Bhikku Chowk in Maharashtra's Malegaon. The site where the blast took place was a communally sensitive town located around 200 km from Mumbai.&nbsp;The NIA conducted the probe into the case in 2011 and has sought "commensurate punishment" for the accused. It also pointed out that the intention of the accused was to strike terror in a section of the Muslim community, according to a report by the news agency PTI. It was claimed by the ATS that the blast was conspired by individuals linked to right-wing Hindu extremist groups.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/malegaon-blast-case-all-accused-including-sadhvi-pragya-singh-acquitted-by-nia-court-1753941419638">Malegaon blast case: All accused, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh acquitted by NIA court</a><h3>Who were the key accused?</h3>There were a total of seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP leader and former MP Pragya Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sameer Kulkarni, and Sudhakar Chaturvedi.&nbsp;According to a report in NDTV, BJP leader and former MP Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Purohit were the most prominent and controversial accused in the case among the seven on trial.&nbsp;Sadhvi Pragya was arrested in October 2008, as the motorcycle used in the blast was registered in her name. The Maharashtra ATS accused her of being part of a larger conspiracy to target Muslim-dominated areas in response to previous terror attacks.&nbsp;In addition, Lt Col Purohit was also accused of providing logistical and material support to a radical Hindu group named Abhinav Bharat. The probe agency claimed that Purohit helped in arranging explosives and was part of meetings where the blasts were reportedly planned.<h3>What were the charges against them?</h3>Before being transferred to the NIA in 2011, the case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). The trial in the case began in 2018 after the court put charges against the seven acquitted.&nbsp;The charges against them are the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) sections 16 (committing a terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit a terrorist act) and various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 153(a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups), as per PTI report.&nbsp;Amid the trial, the prosecution presented 323 witnesses and eight defence witnesses, of whom 37 turned hostile. Multiple pieces of evidence were submitted, including over 10,800 exhibits and over 400 articles seized during the investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The blast was done during the holy month of Ramzan, when an explosive device attached to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque at the Bhikku Chowk in Maharashtra's Malegaon.

A special NIA court in Mumbai announced its verdict on Thursday in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, nearly 17 years after the tragic incident. The court gave a verdict that a blast took place in Malegaon, but failed to prove that a bomb was placed in that motorcycle. Additionally, the court also concluded that the injured people were not 101 but only 95, and there was manipulation in some medical certificates, as per the news agency ANI report. All seven accused were acquitted of all charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Arms Act, and other charges by the Special NIA court, including Sadhvi Pragya, a former Member of Parliament from Bhopal, and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The court, in its verdict, said that the prosecution failed to prove the case and the accused deserves the benefit of the doubt. What is the 2008 Malegaon blast case? The incident occurred during the holy month of Ramzan, just before the Navratri festival on September 29, 2008, when an explosive device attached to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque at the Bhikku Chowk in Maharashtra's Malegaon. The site where the blast took place was a communally sensitive town located around 200 km from Mumbai. The NIA conducted the probe into the case in 2011 and has sought "commensurate punishment" for the accused. It also pointed out that the intention of the accused was to strike terror in a section of the Muslim community, according to a report by the news agency PTI. It was claimed by the ATS that the blast was conspired by individuals linked to right-wing Hindu extremist groups. Also read: Malegaon blast case: All accused, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh acquitted by NIA court Who were the key accused? There were a total of seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP leader and former MP Pragya Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sameer Kulkarni, and Sudhakar Chaturvedi. According to a report in NDTV, BJP leader and former MP Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Purohit were the most prominent and controversial accused in the case among the seven on trial. Sadhvi Pragya was arrested in October 2008, as the motorcycle used in the blast was registered in her name. The Maharashtra ATS accused her of being part of a larger conspiracy to target Muslim-dominated areas in response to previous terror attacks. In addition, Lt Col Purohit was also accused of providing logistical and material support to a radical Hindu group named Abhinav Bharat. The probe agency claimed that Purohit helped in arranging explosives and was part of meetings where the blasts were reportedly planned. What were the charges against them? Before being transferred to the NIA in 2011, the case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). The trial in the case began in 2018 after the court put charges against the seven acquitted. The charges against them are the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) sections 16 (committing a terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit a terrorist act) and various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 153(a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups), as per PTI report. Amid the trial, the prosecution presented 323 witnesses and eight defence witnesses, of whom 37 turned hostile. Multiple pieces of evidence were submitted, including over 10,800 exhibits and over 400 articles seized during the investigation.

The blast was done during the holy month of Ramzan, when an explosive device attached to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque at the Bhikku Chowk in Maharashtra's Malegaon.

What is 2008 Malegaon blast case: Who were the key accused now given clean-chit by NIA court

All accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Colonel Purohit have been acquitted by the NIA court. The court in its hearing said that there was no evidence to prove that the explosives were assembled at the accused persons place and observed that the &nbsp;samples collected from the spot were “contaminated”.&nbsp;“There is no evidence of storing or assembling the explosives in Shrikant Prasad Purohit's residence. No sketch of the spot was done by the investigation officer while doing the panchnama. No fingerprint, dump data or anything else was collected for the spot. The samples were contaminated, so the reports can’t be conclusive and are not reliable,” said the court while hearing the case.&nbsp;The court also observed that the prosecution was unable to prove Sadhvi Pragya was in possession of the bike used in the blast.&nbsp;“The bike allegedly involved in the blast did not have a clear chassis number. Prosecution could not prove that it was in Sadhvi Pragya’s possession immediately before the blast,” said the court.&nbsp;The NIA court also denied to invoke UAPA saying, “UAPA will not be invoked in this case as sanction was not taken as per rules. Both the sanction orders of the UAPA in the case are defective.”&nbsp;“Abhinav Bharat organisation was used as a common reference by the prosecution. There is no evidence that the money of the Abhinav Bharat was used for terror activities” the Court added.&nbsp;The families of all six victims of the blast will be given Rs 2 lakh each, while &nbsp;Rs 50,000 will be given as compensation to the injured victims.&nbsp;On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and several others injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City, Nashik.&nbsp;The Malegaon blast trial was one of the longest in recent memory. The court examined 323 prosecution witnesses and 8 defence witnesses during the process.&nbsp;The trial spanned five different NIA judges. The prosecution submitted its final written arguments in three volumes, totalling over 1,300 pages, in April 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

All accused in Malegaon blast case, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Colonel Purohit acquitted by the NIA court.

All accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Colonel Purohit have been acquitted by the NIA court. The court in its hearing said that there was no evidence to prove that the explosives were assembled at the accused persons place and observed that the samples collected from the spot were “contaminated”. “There is no evidence of storing or assembling the explosives in Shrikant Prasad Purohit's residence. No sketch of the spot was done by the investigation officer while doing the panchnama. No fingerprint, dump data or anything else was collected for the spot. The samples were contaminated, so the reports can’t be conclusive and are not reliable,” said the court while hearing the case. The court also observed that the prosecution was unable to prove Sadhvi Pragya was in possession of the bike used in the blast. “The bike allegedly involved in the blast did not have a clear chassis number. Prosecution could not prove that it was in Sadhvi Pragya’s possession immediately before the blast,” said the court. The NIA court also denied to invoke UAPA saying, “UAPA will not be invoked in this case as sanction was not taken as per rules. Both the sanction orders of the UAPA in the case are defective.” “Abhinav Bharat organisation was used as a common reference by the prosecution. There is no evidence that the money of the Abhinav Bharat was used for terror activities” the Court added. The families of all six victims of the blast will be given Rs 2 lakh each, while Rs 50,000 will be given as compensation to the injured victims. On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and several others injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City, Nashik. The Malegaon blast trial was one of the longest in recent memory. The court examined 323 prosecution witnesses and 8 defence witnesses during the process. The trial spanned five different NIA judges. The prosecution submitted its final written arguments in three volumes, totalling over 1,300 pages, in April 2025.

The NIA court hearing the case also observed that the prosecution was unable to prove Sadhvi Pragya was in possession of the bike used in the blast.

Malegaon blast case: All accused, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh acquitted by NIA court

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, who had skipped proceedings on Thursday on grounds of ill health, appeared before a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court along with two other accused in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Thakur, an accused in the case, was asked some questions by NIA Judge Vinod Padlakar, who later directed all the three accused -Thakur, Samir Kulkarni and Sudhakar Diwedi--to return to the court at 2:45 pm&nbsp;for signatures marking their presence as per the procedure.

At the court, she could be seen helped by two men to climb the stairs at the entrance.

During the course of hearing, Special NIA Judge Vinod Padlakar asked two questions from all the three accused present in the court.

"Do you know or has your lawyer told you about how many witnesses have been examined by the prosecution till now?" the judge asked.

Thakur replied, "I don't know," while Diwedi answered that so far 116 witnesses have been examined by the prosecution.

The court also asked, "From all the witnesses who have been examined till now, it has transpired that there was a blast on September 29, 2008 in which several people died. What do you have to say?"

Thakur and Diwedi said that they do not know about it while Kulkarni claimed that it is true.

On Thursday, the court issued an arrest warrant against a witness in the case who had signed the panchnama while the damage by the blasts was being ascertained. Since it was a bailable warrant, the witness has to pay Rs. 5,000 as bail bond.

Thakur had on Tuesday, moved an exemption from appearance plea in connection with the case. She is likely to appear before the court later this week, her lawyer had said.

The court had on Monday directed Thakur and all other accused in the case to appear before it once a week.

Judge Padalkar, while asking Thakur to be present before the court, had referred to a recent Supreme Court order which said hearing in criminal cases against public representatives be expedited.

Besides the Bhopal MP, the other accused are Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sameer Kulkarni and Sudhakar Chaturvedi.

They have been charged under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The charges include sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit terrorist act) of the UAPA and sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 153 (a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups) of the IPC.

The accused have also been charged under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act.

On September 29, 2018, six people were killed and a dozen others were injured when a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra's Malegaon city.

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, who had skipped proceedings on Thursday on grounds of ill health, appeared before a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court along with two other accused in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, who had skipped proceedings on Thursday on grounds of ill health, appeared before a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court along with two other accused in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Thakur, an accused in the case, was asked some questions by NIA Judge Vinod Padlakar, who later directed all the three accused -Thakur, Samir Kulkarni and Sudhakar Diwedi--to return to the court at 2:45 pm for signatures marking their presence as per the procedure. At the court, she could be seen helped by two men to climb the stairs at the entrance. During the course of hearing, Special NIA Judge Vinod Padlakar asked two questions from all the three accused present in the court. "Do you know or has your lawyer told you about how many witnesses have been examined by the prosecution till now?" the judge asked. Thakur replied, "I don't know," while Diwedi answered that so far 116 witnesses have been examined by the prosecution. The court also asked, "From all the witnesses who have been examined till now, it has transpired that there was a blast on September 29, 2008 in which several people died. What do you have to say?" Thakur and Diwedi said that they do not know about it while Kulkarni claimed that it is true. On Thursday, the court issued an arrest warrant against a witness in the case who had signed the panchnama while the damage by the blasts was being ascertained. Since it was a bailable warrant, the witness has to pay Rs. 5,000 as bail bond. Thakur had on Tuesday, moved an exemption from appearance plea in connection with the case. She is likely to appear before the court later this week, her lawyer had said. The court had on Monday directed Thakur and all other accused in the case to appear before it once a week. Judge Padalkar, while asking Thakur to be present before the court, had referred to a recent Supreme Court order which said hearing in criminal cases against public representatives be expedited. Besides the Bhopal MP, the other accused are Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sameer Kulkarni and Sudhakar Chaturvedi. They have been charged under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges include sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit terrorist act) of the UAPA and sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 153 (a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups) of the IPC. The accused have also been charged under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act. On September 29, 2018, six people were killed and a dozen others were injured when a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra's Malegaon city.

NIA court questions Pragya Singh Thakur, two others in Malegaon blast case

A special NIA court here on Monday directed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/malegaon-blast-case-pragya-singh-thakur-two-other-accused-exempted-from-court-appearance-220372">Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur</a> and all other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case to appear before it once a week.

Special NIA Judge Vinod Padalkar while asking BJP leader Thakur to be present before the court referred to a recent Supreme Court order which said hearing in criminal cases against public representatives be expedited.

Of the seven accused in the case, Samir Kulkarni, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Ajay Rahirkar were present in the court, while the others filed exemption applications.

The judge directed that all the accused including Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sameer Kulkarni must appear at least once a week. All the seven are on bail.

They have been charged under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The charges include sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit terrorist act) of the UAPA and sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 153 (a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups) of the IPC.

The accused have also been charged under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act.

On September 29, 2018, six people were killed and a dozen others were injured when a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra's Malegaon city. (ANI)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

A special NIA court here on Monday directed Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur and all other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case to appear before it once a week. Special NIA Judge Vinod Padalkar while asking BJP leader Thakur to be present before the court referred to a recent Supreme Court order which said hearing in criminal cases against public representatives be expedited.

A special NIA court here on Monday directed Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur and all other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case to appear before it once a week. Special NIA Judge Vinod Padalkar while asking BJP leader Thakur to be present before the court referred to a recent Supreme Court order which said hearing in criminal cases against public representatives be expedited. Of the seven accused in the case, Samir Kulkarni, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Ajay Rahirkar were present in the court, while the others filed exemption applications. The judge directed that all the accused including Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sameer Kulkarni must appear at least once a week. All the seven are on bail. They have been charged under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges include sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit terrorist act) of the UAPA and sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 153 (a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups) of the IPC. The accused have also been charged under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act. On September 29, 2018, six people were killed and a dozen others were injured when a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra's Malegaon city. (ANI)

Malegaon blast case: NIA court asks Pragya Thakur to appear before it once a week

The Bombay High Court Monday refused to stay framing of charges by the trial court against Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit and other accused persons in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case. A bench of Justices S S Shinde and AS Gadkari, however, agreed to hear next month, a petition filed by Purohit, one of the seven accused in the case, challenging his prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

It directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) counsel Sandesh Patil to file a reply to Purohit’s plea by November 21, the next date of hearing.

The bench refused Purohit’s request for staying the proceedings in the trial court, noting that in the past, both the Supreme Court and the Bombay HC had passed orders directing the trial court to expedite the hearing in the case.

Framing of charges is a process after which the trial in a criminal case starts.

The trial court, the special NIA court in the present case, is scheduled to begin framing of charges against Purohit and other accused Tuesday. Six persons were killed and over a 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a power loom town located about 200 km from here in North Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.

Besides Purohit, the other accused case are Pragya Singh Thakur, Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi. All of them will face trial under the UAPA since earlier this month, the special NIA court had rejected their pleas on the applicability of the anti-terror law against them.

On December 27 last year, the special NIA court had dismissed the pleas filed by Purohit, Thakur and the others seeking that they be discharged from the case.

Discharge is a pre-trial process in a criminal case.

At the time, the special court had dropped stringent charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused, but had said they will face charges under the UAPA and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder and criminal conspiracy.

Purohit, however, has argued through his counsel Shrikant Shivade that he cannot be prosecuted in the case since the sanction granted by the government to prosecute him was “wrong in law”.

A prior government sanction for Purohit’s prosecution was required since he was a serving army officer at the time of his arrest.

On January 17, 2009, such a sanction was issued by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Maharashtra home department.

Shivade, however, has maintained that under the UAPA, the state law and judiciary department, which is the sanctioning authority, has to constitute an appropriate authority and seek its report first.

In his case, the sanction was given in January 2009, but the authority was appointed only in October 2010, he has argued.

The sanction in Purohit’s case thus, was not valid under the UAPA, Shivade has maintained.

The Bombay High Court Monday refused to stay framing of charges by the trial court against Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit and other accused persons in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.

The Bombay High Court Monday refused to stay framing of charges by the trial court against Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit and other accused persons in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case. A bench of Justices S S Shinde and AS Gadkari, however, agreed to hear next month, a petition filed by Purohit, one of the seven accused in the case, challenging his prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). It directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) counsel Sandesh Patil to file a reply to Purohit’s plea by November 21, the next date of hearing. The bench refused Purohit’s request for staying the proceedings in the trial court, noting that in the past, both the Supreme Court and the Bombay HC had passed orders directing the trial court to expedite the hearing in the case. Framing of charges is a process after which the trial in a criminal case starts. The trial court, the special NIA court in the present case, is scheduled to begin framing of charges against Purohit and other accused Tuesday. Six persons were killed and over a 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a power loom town located about 200 km from here in North Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. Besides Purohit, the other accused case are Pragya Singh Thakur, Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi. All of them will face trial under the UAPA since earlier this month, the special NIA court had rejected their pleas on the applicability of the anti-terror law against them. On December 27 last year, the special NIA court had dismissed the pleas filed by Purohit, Thakur and the others seeking that they be discharged from the case. Discharge is a pre-trial process in a criminal case. At the time, the special court had dropped stringent charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused, but had said they will face charges under the UAPA and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder and criminal conspiracy. Purohit, however, has argued through his counsel Shrikant Shivade that he cannot be prosecuted in the case since the sanction granted by the government to prosecute him was “wrong in law”. A prior government sanction for Purohit’s prosecution was required since he was a serving army officer at the time of his arrest. On January 17, 2009, such a sanction was issued by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Maharashtra home department. Shivade, however, has maintained that under the UAPA, the state law and judiciary department, which is the sanctioning authority, has to constitute an appropriate authority and seek its report first. In his case, the sanction was given in January 2009, but the authority was appointed only in October 2010, he has argued. The sanction in Purohit’s case thus, was not valid under the UAPA, Shivade has maintained.

Malegaon blast case: Bombay High Court declines to stay framing of charges against Lt Col Purohit

In a partial relief to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others who face trial under an anti-terror law in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, the court dropped provisions under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all the accused.

However, the court said the accused persons will face trial under sections 16 (committing a terror act) and 18 (criminal conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and sections 120(b) (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (intentionally causing harm to others) of the IPC.

Dismissing her applications for discharge, the Special NIA court in its order said that Sadhvi Pragya cannot be exonerated of conspiracy charges as she was aware of the motorcycle was being used for this conspiracy.

The dropping of MCOCA charges is a big relief and we will fight the UAPA charges, said Aparna Purohit, wife of Col. Purohit.&nbsp;

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Malegaon blasts case: Sadhvi Pragya ,Ramesh Upadhyay Ajay Rahikar, Lt Col Purohit discharged under MCOCA and 17, 20 and 13 of UAPA and arms act <a href="https://t.co/xIAecCifwZ">pic.twitter.com/xIAecCifwZ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945972107128606720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Apart from Sadhvi and Purohit, the accused who will now face trial in the case are: Sudhakar Dwivedi, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar.

Two accused - Jagdish Mhatre and Rakesh Dhawde - will face trial only under the Arms Act, the court said.

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Malegaon blasts case: Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Purohit will be tried under UAPA section 18 and other charges of IPC
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945972296652537858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The court has asked all the accused persons to appear before it on January 15 for the formal framing of charges against them.

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Malegaon blasts case: All accused are already out on bail and will continue to be on bail, All previous bonds and sureties are to continue according to special NIA Court <a href="https://t.co/iZnJPl1H8a">pic.twitter.com/iZnJPl1H8a</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945973744006193152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Purohit and the another accused Sameer Kulkarni have been out on bail since August this year.

On September 29, 2008, there was a bomb explosion near Bhiku Chowk at Malegaon in Nashik district, killing six persons and injuring several others.

The blast took place by an improvised explosive device (IED) fitted upon an LML Freedom motorcycle.

In 2008 at least six people were killed and about 100 were injured after an explosion by a bomb tied to a motorcycle in Nashik's Malegaon, Maharashtra

In a partial relief to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others who face trial under an anti-terror law in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, the court dropped provisions under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all the accused. However, the court said the accused persons will face trial under sections 16 (committing a terror act) and 18 (criminal conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and sections 120(b) (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (intentionally causing harm to others) of the IPC. Dismissing her applications for discharge, the Special NIA court in its order said that Sadhvi Pragya cannot be exonerated of conspiracy charges as she was aware of the motorcycle was being used for this conspiracy. The dropping of MCOCA charges is a big relief and we will fight the UAPA charges, said Aparna Purohit, wife of Col. Purohit. Malegaon blasts case: Sadhvi Pragya ,Ramesh Upadhyay Ajay Rahikar, Lt Col Purohit discharged under MCOCA and 17, 20 and 13 of UAPA and arms act pic.twitter.com/xIAecCifwZ — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Apart from Sadhvi and Purohit, the accused who will now face trial in the case are: Sudhakar Dwivedi, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar. Two accused - Jagdish Mhatre and Rakesh Dhawde - will face trial only under the Arms Act, the court said. Malegaon blasts case: Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Purohit will be tried under UAPA section 18 and other charges of IPC — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × The court has asked all the accused persons to appear before it on January 15 for the formal framing of charges against them. Malegaon blasts case: All accused are already out on bail and will continue to be on bail, All previous bonds and sureties are to continue according to special NIA Court pic.twitter.com/iZnJPl1H8a — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Purohit and the another accused Sameer Kulkarni have been out on bail since August this year. On September 29, 2008, there was a bomb explosion near Bhiku Chowk at Malegaon in Nashik district, killing six persons and injuring several others. The blast took place by an improvised explosive device (IED) fitted upon an LML Freedom motorcycle.

Malegaon blasts case: Partial relief for Sadhvi Pragya, Col Purohit

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/malegaon-blast-case-sadhvi-pragya-and-lt-col-purohit-will-be-tried-under-uaps-act-along-with-other-accused-27869">Malegaon blasts case: Partial relief for Sadhvi Pragya, Col Purohit</a>

In a partial relief to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others who face trial under an anti-terror law in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, the court dropped provisions under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all the accused.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-didnt-question-former-pm-manmohan-singhs-commitment-to-nation-arun-jaitley-clarifies-27866">&#39;PM Modi didn&#39;t question former PM Manmohan Singh&#39;s commitment to nation,&#39; Arun Jaitley clarifies</a>

Union Finance Minister and Minister of Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley spoke on PM Modi&#39;s remarks on former prime minister Manmohan Singh today at Rajya Sabha.

Jaitley clarified, &quot;PM in his speeches didn&#39;t question, nor meant to question the commitment to this nation of either former PM Manmohan Singh or Former VP Hamid Ansari.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-sends-shoes-of-jadhavs-wife-for-forensic-testing-27860">Pakistan sends shoes of Jadhav&#39;s wife for forensic testing</a>

Pakistani authorities have sent the shoes worn by Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s wife for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object, a media report said today.

The authorities were ascertaining whether the &quot;metallic object&quot; in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip, Pakistan Today quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal as saying.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/car-bomb-injures-14-afghanistan-soldiers-in-helmand-27872">Car bomb injures 14 Afghanistan soldiers in Helmand</a>

At least 14 Afghan soldiers were injured in a car bombing at 505 Boost Police Zone in Lashkargah city, capital of Helmand Province on Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/1-killed-3-injured-after-gunman-opens-fire-in-moscow-factory-hostages-held-ria-27849">1 killed, 3 injured after gunman opens fire in Moscow factory, hostages held: RIA</a>

A gunman opened a fire in a pastry-making factory in Moscow on Wednesday, killing one person and taking an unknown number as hostages, Russian state news agency RIA said, citing a law enforcement source.

Malegaon blasts case: Partial relief for Sadhvi Pragya, Col Purohit In a partial relief to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others who face trial under an anti-terror law in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, the court dropped provisions under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all the accused. 'PM Modi didn't question former PM Manmohan Singh's commitment to nation,' Arun Jaitley clarifies Union Finance Minister and Minister of Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley spoke on PM Modi's remarks on former prime minister Manmohan Singh today at Rajya Sabha. Jaitley clarified, "PM in his speeches didn't question, nor meant to question the commitment to this nation of either former PM Manmohan Singh or Former VP Hamid Ansari." Pakistan sends shoes of Jadhav's wife for forensic testing Pakistani authorities have sent the shoes worn by Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object, a media report said today. The authorities were ascertaining whether the "metallic object" in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip, Pakistan Today quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal as saying. Car bomb injures 14 Afghanistan soldiers in Helmand At least 14 Afghan soldiers were injured in a car bombing at 505 Boost Police Zone in Lashkargah city, capital of Helmand Province on Wednesday. 1 killed, 3 injured after gunman opens fire in Moscow factory, hostages held: RIA A gunman opened a fire in a pastry-making factory in Moscow on Wednesday, killing one person and taking an unknown number as hostages, Russian state news agency RIA said, citing a law enforcement source.

WION Evening New Brief, December 27, 2017

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