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An Indian court has cleared a fiery Hindu nationalist nun and former legislator, along with six others accused of involvement in a lethal bombing near a mosque in 2008. The incident resulted in six fatalities and over 100 injuries when a motorcycle bomb detonated close to a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra.
The accused, including former BJP Member of Parliament Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, faced charges of terrorism and criminal conspiracy. The case, which persisted for years, saw the prosecution allege that Thakur’s motorcycle was used to transport the explosives and that she participated in a planning meeting before the attack.
However, Judge AK Lahoti declared Thursday that the prosecution had not provided enough evidence to convict Thakur or the other six individuals. “Judgments cannot be based on morals or public opinion,” Lahoti stated, as reported by Indian legal news site Live Law. Defense attorney Ranjit Nair highlighted that the judge noted the prosecution failed to present any concrete proof against the accused.
Indian lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi expressed disappointment with the verdict, asserting that the victims were targeted based on their religion. “A poorly conducted investigation and prosecution led to this acquittal,” he posted on X.
India, predominantly Hindu, has a Muslim minority, and during the trial, counter-terrorism officials claimed the bombing was designed to ignite communal strife. Thakur, now 55, had spent nine years in prison before being granted bail in 2017. She later secured an electoral victory representing BJP in Bhopal.
Indian election regulations permit candidacy for those with no criminal convictions. Thakur has previously stirred controversy by praising the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi as a patriot—drawing censure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi—and claimed consuming cow urine cured her cancer. She also promoted the supposed benefits of drinking a mix of milk, butter, and cow dung.
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