Malegaon Blast: 16 years on, victims are still waiting for justice

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Sixteen years have passed since the 2008 Malegaon bomb, which killed six people and injured over 100. Nonetheless, as the trial draws to a close, the victims and their families continue to await justice.

The prosecution has already delivered its final submissions, and the defence is slated to begin closing arguments on September 30. However, families who have lost loved ones have endured an agonising wait for justice.

Malegaon blast: Attack killed 6

The Malegaon blast occurred on September 29, 2008, when an explosive device mounted to a motorbike detonated near a mosque in Malegaon, roughly 200 kilometres from Mumbai. The attack resulted in six deaths and more than 100 injuries.

Several people, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit, BJP leader Pragya Thakur, Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sameer Kulkarni, are on trial on accusations under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) initiated the inquiry, which was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011.

"The trial is now finally approaching its end, and we expect the court to conclude it soon," said advocate Shahid Nadeem, who represents the victims. He also expressed concern over the ATS's lack of interest in the case, which has delayed justice for the victims.

Malegaon blast: Man says trial has been dragged

Nisar Ahmed, who lost his son Sayed Azhar in the blast, expressed unhappiness with the trial's poor progress. He believes the trial has dragged on due to the accused's influence, but he is still hopeful that justice will be served. He encouraged the court to treat the case seriously and to conclude it as soon as possible in the victims' best interests.

During the trial, the prosecution questioned 323 witnesses, 34 of whom turned hostile. The defence introduced eight witnesses, seven of whom were called by Purohit.

Malegaon blast: NIA submitted chargesheet in 2016

In 2016, the NIA submitted a chargesheet that cleared Pragya Thakur and three others - Shyam Sahu, Praveen Takalki, and Shivnarayan Kalsangra - of any participation, citing a lack of evidence. However, the court only released Sahu, Kalsangra, and Takalki, while Thakur will still face prosecution.

The court also withdrew the accused's harsh Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) charges from that period.

On October 30, 2018, charges were formally filed against seven suspects under the UAPA and IPC. The accusations included sections 16 (terrorist act) and 18 (conspiracy to perform a terrorist act) of the UAPA, as well as sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempted murder), 324 (causing pain), and 153(a) (promoting hatred between religious communities) of the IPC.

The trial began in 2018, and the recording of witness testimony ended in September 2022.