“Who killed the innocents of Malegaon? No one, says the court.”
Seventeen years after bombs ripped through Malegaon and tore apart the lives of six Muslims—killing them in a market soaked with blood and shredded cloth—the court has now declared what was long suspected: not that the blasts didn’t happen, but that no one can be held accountable. Not even when motorcycles used in the blasts were owned by an accused MP. Not even when a serving army officer was caught plotting the carnage. Not even when sworn testimony, intercepted calls, and witness accounts pointed to a Hindutva terror nexus.
31 July 2025: The Day India’s Investigative Agencies Were Declared Morally Bankrupt
A special NIA court acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Army officer Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, stating there was “no cogent, reliable evidence.” This, despite years of painstaking investigation that had earlier established the rise of saffron terrorism, a phrase that sent India’s right-wing ecosystem into convulsions.
It is not justice that triumphed today—it is impunity cloaked in saffron.
Hemant Karkare: The Man Who Knew Too Much
In 2008, when the Malegaon blast shook the nation, the then Maharashtra ATS Chief Hemant Karkare dared to follow the evidence—not the political convenience. He exposed an entire terror network rooted in extremist Hindutva ideology. He arrested Sadhvi Pragya, Lt. Col. Purohit, Swami Dayanand Pande, and others. He unearthed links to Abhinav Bharat, an organization plotting attacks to create communal hysteria.
But Karkare paid with his life. Just weeks later, during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, he was gunned down under highly suspicious circumstances—wearing a faulty bulletproof vest, responding to a mysterious call, and entering a kill zone with no backup. His death snatched away the only man willing to hold Hindutva extremists accountable. His martyrdom was mocked by the same forces he tried to expose. Even today, BJP leaders call him a “traitor” and celebrate the acquittal of those he arrested.
This is not just injustice – it’s institutional revenge.
NIA, ATS, CBI: From Guardians of Law to Guardians of Power.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over from ATS in 2011, systematically diluted the case. It allowed hostile witnesses, ignored tampered evidence, and failed to obtain proper sanctions under UAPA. The agency today admitted in court that it was unable to prove the charges—an admission not of innocence, but of calculated failure. A deliberate dereliction of duty.
These agencies no longer protect the constitution—they protect the political class. When the accused are Muslim, the agencies move with fury; when they are clad in saffron, the same agencies limp, stutter, and fall silent.
And let’s not forget the 2006 Mumbai train blast case—where 189 people were killed. Twelve Muslim men were tortured and convicted. Now, in 2025, they’ve been acquitted by the High Court, citing lack of evidence. But their lives have already been ruined. Justice delayed is not only justice denied—it is cruelty legalized.
The Larger Crisis: When Courts Are Caged Canaries
The courts may have spoken today, but the people know the truth. The victims of Malegaon, the families of the falsely accused, and the conscience of this country all understand that truth was not defeated—it was buried alive.
The Hindutva project doesn’t just demand power—it demands complete immunity. It doesn’t just crush dissent—it rewrites guilt and innocence. It doesn’t just kill the innocent—it lets the guilty sit in Parliament.
Today’s verdict is not the end of one trial. It is the death certificate of accountability. It sends a chilling message: You can plan a terror attack, kill innocents, and walk free—as long as you chant the right slogans.
The State is No Longer Neutral
When institutions stop functioning with integrity, they don’t just fail—they become weapons. The NIA, CBI, ATS, and even courts are no longer neutral arbiters of justice. They are co-authors in the script of impunity, foot soldiers of a saffron project, and gatekeepers of selective outrage.
Hemant Karkare stood up against this wave. He followed the evidence. He died for it. And today, we let that sacrifice be mocked in open court.
If this isn’t the collapse of democracy’s spine, what is?
Thank you Aftab ji for saying the truth as it is .This should be one of the most obnoxious judgements in Indian legal history .