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Pragya Thakur, one of the seven accused persons in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, was arrested in 2008 and granted bail in 2017, till she was acquitted on July 31.
Former BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. (Image: PTI/File)
Former BJP MP Pragya Thakur, one of the accused persons who was recently acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, made a stunning claim as she accused investigators of coercing her into naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, among others, in the incident.
A special NIA court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including Thakur, in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blasts, noting that the prosecution had failed to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had claimed that an explosive-laden motorcycle used in the blasts belonged to Thakur, and she was arrested in 2008.
Despite spending nearly nine years in jail, Thakur maintained that she was falsely implicated, framed by the then Congress-led government, and subjected to custodial torture. Thakur said her acquittal was the victory of “Sanatan Dharma” and Hindutva.
ALSO READ: Malegaon Blast Case: Court Rejects Abhinav Bharat’s Role, Says It’s Not Declared A Terror Outfit
‘Coerced To Implicate PM Modi’
Thakur said she was tortured in custody and was detained illegally in the hospital by investigators, according to a report by NDTV. “They made me name several people, including (senior BJP leader) Ram Madhav. To do all of this, they tortured me.”
“I lived in Gujarat, so they also asked me to take Prime Minister Modi’s name. I did not take anyone’s name because they were attempting to make me lie,” Thakur said, adding that she was also asked to take the names of Yogi Aditynath, Mohan Bhagwat and Indresh Kumar.
“They said ‘take these names and we won’t beat you’,” she alleged. Thakur had complained of poor health several times while she was lodged in Mumbai’s Byculla Jail, but her bail pleas were repeatedly rejected until 2017.
Orders To Arrest Mohan Bhagwat?
This sensational claim came on the heels on the allegations made by a former ATS official that he had been ordered to arrest RSS chief Mohan bhagwat in the case. Mehboob Mujawar, a former ATS officer, alleged that senior officers had directed him to detain Bhagwat, but he defied those orders.
However, these claims were dismissed by the special NIA court that acquitted the seven persons. The court in its judgement said that it did not find any force in the contentions raised by the advocate for accused Sudhakar Dwivedi.
The court dismissed the defense lawyer’s argument, citing a statement from ACP Mohan Kulkarni, the then chief investigating officer, who clarified that Mujawar was never instructed to arrest any RSS member.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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