Malegaon case: Pragya claims she was forced to name Modi
What's the story
Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pragya Singh Thakur has alleged that she was tortured and coerced into naming high-profile leaders in the Malegaon blast case. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court recently acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 blasts, including Thakur. She claimed that the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) forced her to name Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Custody allegations
Thakur says she was tortured during her detention
Thakur alleged that she was kept in illegal custody for 13 days and tortured during her 24-day detention. She said, "I have given everything in writing and named all those whom I was forced to name. They kept saying, 'Name these people, then we won't beat you.' Their main aim was to torture me."
Conspiracy claims
Thakur blames Congress for the entire case
Thakur alleged that the case was a conspiracy by the Congress party to target key pillars of India, such as saints, RSS, and the Army. She said, "This was a conspiracy by the Congress... Congress targeted saints, the RSS, and the Army... in an attempt to destroy them." She further added that despite facing difficulties, she would continue working for her country.
Acquittal details
NIA court acquits all accused in Malegaon blasts case
On Thursday, the NIA special court acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case. The court said that the prosecution failed to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Those acquitted include Thakur, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya), and Sameer Kulkarni. The court also ordered compensation for victims' families by the Maharashtra government: ₹2 lakh for deceased's families and ₹50,000 for injured persons.
Evidence review
Court slams prosecution for shoddy investigation
The court found no evidence of explosives being stored or assembled at Prasad Purohit's residence, another accused in the case. It said, "No sketch of the spot was done by the investigation officer while doing panchnama. No fingerprint, dump data, or anything else was collected for the spot." The samples were contaminated, so reports can't be conclusive and relied upon," it added.
Blast aftermath
Case dates back to September 2008
The case dates back to September 29, 2008, when a bomb-laden motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Malegaon City's Bhikku Chowk. The blast left six people dead and injured 95 others. The NIA took over the investigation in the case in October 2009.