Mirzapur: After 17 years of legal proceedings, the NIA court has acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including Sudhakar Chaturvedi from Dhorupur village in Jigna, Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh.
2008 Blast Killed Six During Ramzan in Nashik
The blast, which occurred on September 29, 2008, during Ramzan in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, claimed six lives and injured more than 100 people. Chaturvedi was one of the individuals charged in connection with the incident, alongside others such as Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit.
Court Slams ATS for Procedural Lapses
The court attributed the acquittal to what it called major lapses in the original investigation by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), noting procedural flaws and insufficient evidence. These gaps, the court stated, undermined the case’s foundation.
Eight Years in Jail Before Bail in 2017
However, the decision has drawn concern from various quarters, particularly in light of the severity of the attack and the loss of life involved. While one accused was granted bail in 2011, the remaining six, including Chaturvedi, spent eight years in custody before receiving bail in 2017.
Final Verdict Ends Case But Raises Questions
With the verdict now final, the prolonged trial concludes not with convictions, but with lingering doubts about investigative accountability in a case that once gripped national attention.
