NewzVille Desk
After 17 years, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. All accused were out on bail.
The NIA court cited lack of evidence, investigative flaws, and errors in sanctioning under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as the main reasons for its decision.
The court clarified that the UAPA could not be applied in this case because the required sanction was not obtained according to the rules. Both UAPA sanction orders related to the case were found to be flawed.
The court further noted that no evidence was found to prove the placement or assembly of explosives in the house of Shrikant Prasad Purohit.
The explosion, which occurred on the night of 29 September, 2008, near Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon, killed six people and injured more than a hundred. A low-intensity bomb fitted to a motorcycle went off near a busy intersection, triggering panic and chaos in the communally sensitive town.
The court also announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh to each deceased victim and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
