A special NIA court in Mumbai is likely to deliver its verdict today (July 31) in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, nearly 17 years after the tragic incident. On September 29, 2008, an explosive device attached to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town located around 200 km from Mumbai. The blast resulted in the deaths of six people and injured more than 100 others, leaving a deep impact on the region and prompting a years-long investigation and legal battle.
The blast took place during the holy month of Ramzan, just before the Navratri festival, the NIA pointed out, claiming the intention of the accused was to strike terror in a section of the Muslim community.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which conducted the probe into the case, has sought "commensurate punishment" for the accused. The trial, which started in 2018, got over on April 19, 2025, and the case was reserved for judgement.
2008 Malegaon blast case: Who are the key accused?
Seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case are:
- BJP leader and former MP Pragya Thakur
- Lt Col Prasad Purohit
- Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay
- Ajay Rahirkar
- Sudhakar Dwivedi
- Sudhakar Chaturvedi
- Sameer Kulkarni
What are the charges against them?
The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) before being transferred to the NIA in 2011. The trial in the case began in 2018 after the court framed charges against the seven accused.
The charges against them are the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit 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).
During the trial, the prosecution presented 323 witnesses, of whom 37 turned hostile.
(With PTI inputs)
