Court says strong suspicion, not enough to punish; acquits all seven accused

MALEGAON BLAST CASE

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

MUMBAI: Nearly seventeen years after an explosion ripped through Malegaon in north Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring 101, a special court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, stating there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Special Judge AK Lahoti, delivering the verdict, remarked that terrorism has no religion and that a conviction cannot be secured on the basis of suspicion or public perception. "Strong suspicion cannot take the place of evidence," he said, noting that no religion in the world preaches violence. He added that the more serious the offence, the higher the degree of proof required for conviction.

The blast took place on September 29, 2008, during the holy month of Ramzan, when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon, about 200 kilometers from Mumbai. The court acknowledged that the prosecution had established a blast did occur, but it said the ownership of the motorcycle and the manner in which it was parked in a cordoned-off area remained unproven. It stated there was no conclusive evidence to link the bike to Thakur, pointing out that the chassis number had been erased and never restored making proper identification impossible. The court also found no proof that the accused had planted the bomb, carried out reconnaissance of the site, transported RDX, or attended meetings to plan the attack.