(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) In a significant judgment, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit.

The court dropped all charges against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), citing a lack of sufficient evidence.

The blast occurred on September 29, 2008, when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded near the Bhikku Chowk mosque in Malegaon city of Nashik district, Maharashtra. The explosion, which took place during the holy month of Ramzan and just days before the Hindu festival of Navratri, claimed six lives and injured over 100 people in the communally sensitive town.

After nearly 17 years of legal proceedings, the verdict was delivered in a packed courtroom with all the accused present, as directed earlier by the court. The court also ordered compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each of the six deceased and Rs 50,000 for every injured victim.

The trial saw a prolonged legal process involving a voluminous case file exceeding one lakh pages.

Hearings concluded in April this year, and the court had reserved its judgment on April 19. Given the scale and complexity of the case, the court took additional time to scrutinise all the material before announcing its verdict.

Throughout the trial, the prosecution examined 323 witnesses, though 34 of them turned hostile, significantly weakening the prosecution's case.

Initially, the investigation was conducted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which arrested the accused and filed the first charge sheet. However, in 2011, the probe was transferred to the NIA.

In 2016, the NIA filed a supplementary charge sheet dropping charges against several accused, including Sadhvi Pragya, citing insufficient evidence to prosecute them under stringent anti-terror laws.

All accused were out on bail during the trial. They were facing serious charges, including conspiracy, murder, and use of explosives under UAPA and IPC provisions.

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