Malegaon Blast Judgment Reveals Witness Alleged Coercion by ATS
Following the acquittal of all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, the full judgment revealed a key witness claimed he was tortured by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and pressured to name UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The special court deemed the witness's statement involuntary and unreliable, striking it from the record. The judgment further undermines the prosecution's case, which the court found lacked cogent evidence, ending a politically charged legal saga.
Unpacked:
The Malegaon blast occurred on September 29, 2008, in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, killing six and injuring around 100. Seven people, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, were arrested as the main accused. They were alleged to have participated in planning and executing the bombing using an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle.
The court found major contradictions between the Maharashtra ATS and NIA investigations, unreliable witness testimony allegedly obtained under duress, and a lack of conclusive evidence linking the accused to the blast. Key issues included the origin and assembly location of the bomb, contaminated evidence, and failure to establish the ownership of the explosive-laden motorcycle.
Ex-BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur called her acquittal a victory for 'Sanatana and Rashtra' and accused the Congress party of framing her and others for political reasons. The case has been highly politicized, with allegations that it was used to target particular individuals based on their affiliations.
The court ordered the Maharashtra government to compensate the victims’ families with Rs 2 lakh each for the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the blast.