Families of Malegaon blast victims move HC against acquittal

Families of those killed in the September 2008 bomb blast in Malegaon have moved the Bombay high court, challenging the acquittal of all the seven accused, including former BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit.

- Karuna Nidhi

Nearly 17 years after a bomb ripped through a crowded intersection in Malegaon, killing six people and injuring 95 others, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on July 31st acquitted all seven accused in an order that highlighted serious irregularities, contradictions, and procedural misconduct by the investigating agencies.

“The trial court has unfortunately acted as a mere post-office and allowed a deficient prosecution to benefit the accused”, the families of the victims said in the appeal which is scheduled to be heard on September 15. The petitioners claimed the order passed by the special NIA court on July 31 acquitting the seven accused was wrong and “bad in law” and hence deserves to be quashed.