Bombay High Court Acquits Four in 2006 Malegaon Blast Case

The Bombay High Court has acquitted four individuals accused in the 2006 Malegaon blast case, overturning a special court's decision that had previously framed charges against them. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Shri Chandrashekar and Justice Shyam Chandak, accepted the appeals of the accused: Rajendra Chaudhary, Dhan Singh, Manohar Ram Singh Narvariya, and Lokesh Sharma. A detailed order is yet to be released. The four faced various charges under the Indian Penal Code, including murder and criminal conspiracy, as well as accusations under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. On September 8, 2006, four bomb explosions occurred in Malegaon, Nashik district; three of these blasts took place shortly after Friday prayers inside the Hamidia Mosque and the larger cemetery complex, while one explosion happened at Mushawarat Chowk. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals and left 312 others injured.

Initially, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted the investigation, leading to the arrest of nine Muslim men. Subsequently, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case, alleging that right-wing extremists were responsible for the blasts, which led to the arrest of the four accused. The nine men previously detained were acquitted by a special court. In September of last year, a special court framed charges against the four accused, who later challenged the order in the High Court. In January of this year, the High Court accepted their petitions, indicating that there was a prima facie case for intervention and halted further proceedings in the trial court. The accused argued that the NIA failed to present any substantial evidence against them.