MUMBAI: An Indian court acquitted former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and six others on Thursday in connection with a 2008 bombing near a mosque that killed six people.
The blast in Malegaon, Maharashtra, injured over 100 when explosives strapped to a motorcycle detonated.
Judge AK Lahoti dismissed terrorism and conspiracy charges against the accused, stating the prosecution failed to provide conclusive evidence.
“Judgements cannot be based on morals and public perception,“ Lahoti noted, as reported by Live Law.
Defence counsel Ranjit Nair highlighted the lack of proof linking Thakur to the attack, despite claims her motorcycle transported the explosives.
The verdict drew criticism from opposition leaders, including MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who called it “disappointing” and blamed a flawed investigation.
“Those killed were targeted for their religion,“ Owaisi posted on X, referencing the Hindu-Muslim tensions underlying the case.
Thakur, a controversial figure, spent nine years in jail before securing bail in 2017.
She later won a parliamentary seat from Bhopal despite past remarks praising Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin and advocating cow-urine-based remedies.
India’s election laws permit candidates without criminal convictions to contest polls.
The National Investigation Agency had alleged the attack aimed to stoke communal strife.
The ruling ends a 17-year legal battle but leaves lingering questions about justice for victims. – AFP