"Pragya Thakur Claims Pressure To Mention PM Modi in Malegaon Case"
Pragya Thakur Acquitted in 2008 Malegaon Blast Case, Alleges Coercion and Conspiracy
Pragya Thakur, a former BJP MP, was acquitted on July 31, 2025, by a special NIA court in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Thakur, who was also acquitted alongside Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit and five others, has since claimed that she was coerced and tortured to falsely implicate high-profile individuals during the investigations.
Thakur alleged that the coercion came as part of a conspiracy by the then UPA government, led by the Congress, to defame the BJP, saffron ideology, and armed forces. The court acquitted all accused due to lack of credible evidence linking them to the blast, highlighting weak prosecution and hostile witnesses over the 17-year-long case.
The explosive device that caused the Malegaon blast in 2008 was strapped to a motorcycle. However, the motorcycle used in the blast was not proven to belong to Thakur due to an unclear engine number and a scrubbed off chassis number.
Thakur denied naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yogi Adityanath, Mohan Bhagwat, and others during the investigation, asserting those were forced confessions under torture attempts by investigators. Mehboob Mujawar, a former Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) member, alleged that he was forced to implicate Bhagwat and others linked to the RSS, including Indresh Kumar, a senior member of the organisation.
The court rejected these allegations, but Mujawar reiterated them, claiming that the objective behind the order given by his seniors was to take the probe in the "wrong direction" and make it appear like a "saffron terror case". Lawyer Shahid Nadeem, who represents some of the accused, has criticized the NIA for not pursuing perjury action against the witnesses who turned hostile.
The families of the victims have stated their intention to approach higher courts, including the Supreme Court, to seek justice. Thakur stated that she did not name anyone because the investigators were attempting to make her lie. She alleged that investigators threatened her, saying "take these names and we won't beat you".
Thakur's statements accuse the previous Congress-led UPA government of orchestrating a false case for political motives, which remains her personal claim without official corroboration. The special NIA court's decision did not determine the guilt or innocence of the accused in the Malegaon blast case.
On Saturday, Thakur stated that investigators tortured her and illegally detained her in a hospital, and she was asked to take Prime Minister Modi's name during the investigation. The truth, according to Thakur, cannot be hidden.
[1] Indian Express [2] NDTV [3] The Hindu [4] The Times of India
The acquittal of Pragya Thakur in the 2008 Malegaon blast case has sparked a debate in the realm of general-news, with Thakur accusing the UPA government of politics and conspiracy to implicate high-profile individuals. [The Hindu, The Times of India]
Amidst these allegations, the topic of crime-and-justice has been at the forefront, as Thakur alleges coercion and torture by investigators, while witnesses have turned hostile and perjury action has not been pursued by the investigative agencies. [Indian Express, NDTV]
