Malegaon blast case: Sadhvi Pragya weeps after acquittal, says ‘Bhagwa won today, God will punish guilty’

MUMBAI: Former MP Sadhvi Pragya, who was on Thursday acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, expressed happiness over the Mumbai NIA special court’s verdict stating that “Bhagwa and Hindutva has won” and the real culprits in the blasts that killed six people and injured 95 others will be punished.

“Bhagwa was defamed by them through a conspiracy, today Bhagwa has won and Hindutva has won and those who are guilty will be punished by God. But those who defamed India and Bhagwa both are not proved wrong by you. I thank you sir (to Judge Abhay Lohati)”, Pragya said as she openly wept after the verdict.

The 2008 Malegaon blast case was transferred to the NIA in 2011 from the Maharshtra Anti-terrorism squad (ATS). After a 17-year long wait, examination of hundreds of witnesses, the NIA special court on Thursday acquitted all seven people accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms act and all other charges.

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: NIA Court acquits all accused in Malegaon blast case | Advocate Ranjit Nayar, accused’s lawyer says, “The accused have been acquitted in this case. I was the advocate for accused number 11, Sudhakar Chaturvedi. The Court said that there is no proof… pic.twitter.com/ENXYAnKmYH

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Detailing how she was “tortured” during the investigation, the former MP reiterated what she earlier said about pressure on the investigation to frame the accused.

“I said this from very beginning that those who are called for investigation, there should be basis behind that. I was called by them for investigation and was arrested and tortured. This ruined my whole life. I was living a sage’s life, but I was made and accused and no one was willingly standing beside us. I am alive because I am a sanyasi, I am living my life with dying every day”, she said.

While in the court, the former MP was allowed to sit in the witness box instead of the accused box due to her health condition.

Another acquitted, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retd)expressed relief over the verdict and also alleged “physical, mental and financial” torture.

“We sufffered all kinds of torture including physical, mental and financial tortures. We willingly gave narco tests but that was not relied upon as it didn’t suit the prosecution’s case. I am happy that the court gave us relief. My husband, wife and son were called some wife and daughter of terrorist but I am thankful that that stigma will go from our lives”, he said.

Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit, also thanked the court for restoring his faith in the justice system. “I thank you for restoring the faith of the common man in the system again. In life of a nation individual lives don’t matter, it’s the nation which matters ultimately”, he said.

“I thank you for giving me a chance to serve my nation and my organisation with the same conviction which I was doing before me being framed in this matter. I don’t blame any organisation for all this. Organisations like investigating agencies are not wrong, but people inside the organisations are the ones who have done wrong”, he added.

The court has also ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter of planting of explosives in the house of accused Sudhakar Chaturvedi. Sameer Kulkarni too, another acquitted, requested permission to chant slogans, but was denied by the court.

Security had been heightened around the NIA court before the verdict. Visuals from the Mumbai Special NIA court showed people standing outside, awaiting the court’s verdict. Notably, the witnesses had also come to the court to watch the announcement.

On September 29 2008, six people were killed and 95 others injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City’s Bhikku Chowk. Originally, 11 people were accused in the case; however, the court ultimately framed charges against seven, including former MP Sadhvi Pragya. (ANI)