Indian Court Acquits Hindu Nationalist Nun and Six Others in 2008 Malegaon Bombing Case

An Indian court has acquitted Hindu nationalist nun and former lawmaker Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and six others of charges related to a 2008 bomb blast near a mosque in Malegaon that killed six people and injured over 100. The judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence against the accused. The case had dragged on for years, and critics, including MP Asaduddin Owaisi, blamed a flawed investigation for the acquittals.

An Indian court on Thursday acquitted a Hindu nationalist nun and former lawmaker, along with six others, who had been charged in connection with a deadly bombing that occurred near a mosque in 2008.

The explosion, which took place in Malegaon—a city in the western Indian state of Maharashtra—resulted in the deaths of six people and left over 100 others injured. The bomb, strapped to a motorcycle, detonated in close proximity to a mosque, leading to widespread shock and condemnation.

Seven individuals were tried in connection with the attack, including former Member of Parliament Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. They faced charges relating to terrorism and criminal conspiracy in a case that dragged on for many years.

Pragya Singh Thakur, 55, is a controversial figure in Indian politics. Before receiving bail in 2017, she had spent nine years in jail. Thakur drew national attention—and criticism—after referring to Nathuram Godse, the radical Hindu who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as a "patriot." This remark prompted a public rebuke from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Although Thakur later became associated with Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she had already adopted the life of a Hindu nun two years before the Malegaon blast occurred.

Prosecutors alleged that the motorcycle used in the bombing belonged to Thakur and that she had attended a crucial meeting where the attack was planned. However, the court ruled that the evidence presented against Thakur and the other six accused was insufficient to establish their guilt.

"Judgements cannot be based on morals and public perception," the judge emphasized in the ruling.

Incidents targeting Muslims have become a recurring issue in Hindu-majority India. Reacting to the verdict, Indian parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi called it "disappointing" and remarked that the victims of the Malegaon blast had been "targeted for their religion."

He further accused the investigative and prosecutorial authorities of deliberately mishandling the case, describing the acquittals as the result of a "shoddy investigation/prosecution" in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Defense lawyer Ranjit Nair said the court concluded that the prosecution failed to present any substantive proof against the accused.

During the course of the trial, India’s counter-terrorism authorities claimed that the 2008 Malegaon bombing had been orchestrated to incite communal and religious discord.

At the time the verdict was issued, all seven accused individuals were already out on bail.