An NIA special court acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case — including Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit — citing lack of conclusive evidence.

Judge A K Lahoti ruled that the prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond a doubt, and ordered compensation of ₹2 lakh to the families of those killed and ₹50,000 for each of the injured.

Calling the verdict a “victory for Hindutva,” Pragya Thakur claimed she was falsely implicated and endured illegal detention and torture. BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule called the case a political conspiracy by Congress, accusing it of defaming Hinduism with the term “Hindu terrorism.”

The 2008 blast in Malegaon, Maharashtra, during Ramzan, killed six and injured 100. An IED was planted on a motorcycle in a Muslim-majority area.

While some welcomed the verdict, victims' families expressed pain. A man who lost his 10-year-old daughter said he was heartbroken and would never find peace.