NEW DELHI — AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday criticised the Bombay High Court’s decision to discharge the last four accused in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case, calling the ruling a “betrayal” of the victims and questioning the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) probe.
The High Court, while discharging four accused, said the case “seems to have reached a dead end” and pulled up the NIA for “completely ignoring” evidence collected by the earlier investigating agency.
The accused — Rajendra Chaudhary, Dhan Singh, Manohar Ram Singh Narwaria and Lokesh Sharma — were discharged due to lack of evidence. They had been charged under provisions of the Indian Penal Code for murder and criminal conspiracy, as well as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The court’s order, delivered on April 22, leaves unresolved the question of who carried out the blasts that killed 31 people and injured over 300.
Reacting to the verdict, Owaisi alleged that the accused were linked to Abhinav Bharat and said the investigation had been flawed from the start.
“The explosions claimed 31 lives and injured 312. The blasts specifically targeted Muslims. Yet, the agencies initially arrested nine Muslims, who were later acquitted in 2016. The High Court has now criticised the NIA for its botched investigation,” he said.
Drawing parallels with other cases, Owaisi alleged a pattern in terror investigations. He referred to the 2008 Malegaon blast case and cited former NIA prosecutor Rohini Salian, who had claimed she was asked to “go soft” on the accused.
He also raised doubts about whether the NIA would appeal against the verdict. “Is the NIA going to appeal the order before the Supreme Court? Highly unlikely. This is a betrayal of all the victims and their families. This will be yet another terror attack where we will not even see its perpetrators being punished. To be a Muslim in India is to only wait for justice,” he added.
Family members of victims from the 2008 Malegaon blast challenged the special NIA court’s acquittal of all accused, including Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, at the Bombay High Court on September 9, 2025. The blast, which took place on September 29, 2008, killed six and injured 101 near a mosque in Malegaon town, Nashik district, Maharashtra.
