The serial blasts in Mumbai’s local trains on 11 July 2006 shook the entire country. 189 people lost their lives in this blast. Two years after the incident, an explosion also occurred in 2008, killing six people and injured more than 100. The families of the victims who were waiting for justice for so many years, finally got disappointed, the accused in both cases looked alike were acquitted. The ATS blamed Pakistan-backed terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba and members of the Indian Mujahideen for the Mumbai blasts.
The face of step by step in the Malegaon blast also changed. Malegaon is a sensitive Muslim dominated area of Maharashtra. After this blast, the word ‘Hindu terrorism’ was heard for the first time and Colonel Prasad Srikanth Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya and others were arrested in the case. It was alleged that the motorcycle used for the blast was registered in the name of Sadhvi Pragya.
Explosion in Malegaon
After the evening of July 11, 2006, Maharashtra ATS arrested 13 Muslim youths and claimed that the attacks have been carried out at the behest of Pakistani intelligence agencies ISI and Lashkar-e-Taiba. In 2015, the special MCOCA court convicted 12 accused and five were sentenced to death sentence and seven were sentenced to life imprisonment. On July 21, 2025, the Bombay High Court acquitted everyone and said in its judgment that the prosecution had been “completely failed”, forcibly confessed and many witnesses were incredible, which the statements kept changing from time to time. “Also, it was also comments that the scientific investigation of the crime scene was incomplete and suspicious. A bench of Justice Revathi Mohite Dera and Justice Sharad Jummele wrote, “The evidence given by the prosecution does not meet the judicial standards.” To punish the culprits, ‘no doubt’, ‘crime accomplishment’ is needed. But now the question is that almost 19 years of the life of the blamed people were spent in jail and the victims also kept expecting justice. It is like a strong question on police and prosecution.
There was also ‘serious doubt’ against the accused in the Malegaon blast but the evidence could not be gathered. Six people died in a bomb blast outside a mosque in Malegaon city. In the investigation, the names of some people associated with Abhinav India were revealed in the investigation. A case was registered against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit and five others under the illegal activity (prevention) Act (UAPA). But these people too were acquitted on 31 July 2025 in the special court of NIA for ‘lack of evidence’. It could not be proved in the court that the motorcycle used in the bomb blast was registered in the name of Sadhvi Pragya but she had a hand in her being there. Forensic evidence was incomplete and suspicious. Also, 37 out of 323 witnesses were overturned.
Colonel Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya
Justice of the Special Court A.K. Of. Lahoti wrote in the decision, “Crime does not prove, if only political steps are resorted to. The justice runs on concrete evidence, not on the spirit. ”
Sadhvi Pragya Thakur had made serious allegations against the then UPA government during arrest and trial, including a conspiracy to create the theory of illegal custody, physical and mental torture, and “Hindu terrorism”.
After both these decisions, the question arose whether there would be any account to keep innocent people in jail for so many years? Will the accountability of the role of police and agencies be decided? Experts believe that the mistakes made in the negligence, political pressure, and evidence of the investigating agencies are enough to shake public confidence in the system.
In both these cases acquitted people come from two different communities. This has deepened the communal interpretations of decisions. While words like ‘Hindu terrorism’ emerged in political discourse in the Malegaon case, the long imprisonment of Muslim youth in the Mumbai blast case gave rise to a sense of insecurity and mistrust in an entire community.
It is clear from these decisions that the crime investigation and the lawsuit process needs to be made more scientific and justified. If the investigating agencies fail in their responsibilities, then neither the accused crush in jail for years, the real criminals also escape.
Mumbai blast accused after being acquitted
The role of the judiciary here is like the ‘shield which protects the defect’, but until the investigation and prosecution process is strong, neither the victims will get true justice nor the trust in the society will be restored.
In both cases, questions arose on the fairness of the investigating agencies and the pressure of media trial was felt. Some people believe that political effects in both cases had a clear impact. So, will the direction of investigation be determined by the religion, political ideology or power of the accused in the cases of terrorism too?
Investigation step by step- Malegaon
October 2008: Arrest of 11 people including Sadhvi Pragya and Colonel Purohit. The ATS claimed that the Hindu radical organization “Abhinav Bharat” was behind the blast.
January 20, 2009: ATS filed a 4,000 -page charge sheet in the special court, in which 14 people were accused.
2011: The investigation was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which began to see the case afresh.
April 21, 2011: ATS filed a supplementary charge sheet, claiming additional evidence.
May 13, 2016: NIA filed a new charge sheet, in which MCOCA was removed and said that prima facie evidence against Sadhvi Pragya and others is not sufficient.
2017: Sadhvi Pragya and Colonel Purohit got bail, but the trial continued.
October 30, 2018: NIA court framed charges against seven accused – Sadhvi Pragya, Colonel Purohit, Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Raheerkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sameer Kulkarni.
19 April 2025: Decision safe.
31 July 2025: Special NIA court acquitted all seven accused, as the prosecution could not present concrete evidence.
Investigation step by step- Mumbai local blasts
July 11, 2006: Seven bomb blasts in Mumbai’s local trains. The use of pressure cooker bombs, which had a mixture of RDX and ammonium nitrate.
July 12, 2006: Mumbai Police, ATS starts investigation. Doubt on Islamic terrorist organizations.
30 August 2006: ATS arrested three suspects- Kamal Ahmed Ansari, Tanveer Ahmed Ansari, and Faizal Sheikh. A total of 13 people were later arrested.
21 November 2006: ATS filed a 4,000 -page charge sheet, in which 13 people were charged under terrorist conspiracy, murder, and illegal activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
2010: Special MCOCA court starts hearing. 323 witnesses were examined, many of which were overturned by statements.
September 11, 2015: Special MCOCA court convicts 12 accused. Five death sentence, seven life imprisonment. One accused, Abdul Wahid Sheikh, was acquitted.
July 21, 2025: The Bombay High Court acquitted all the 12 convicts, saying that the prosecution was “completely failed” to prove the case against them.
