Malegaon blast case: Court acquits 7 accused, including Pragya Thakur

EARLY 17 years after the Malegaon blast claimed six lives, a special court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, noting there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" against them.

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No religion teaches violence, the court said. Terrorism has no religion, but the court cannot convict on mere perception, it added.

Special Judge A K Lahoti, assigned to hear cases of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) here, flagged several loopholes in the prosecution's case and the investigation carried out, and said the accused persons deserved the benefit of doubt.