Sadhvi Pragya, acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, alleges torture and pressure to falsely implicate top BJP and RSS leaders, including PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath.
Nearly two decades after the 2008 Malegaon blast, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has come forward with serious allegations, claiming she was tortured and pressured to falsely implicate top BJP and RSS leaders during the investigation.
‘They Beat Me, But I Didn’t Betray the Truth’
Speaking at a public event, the BJP MP from Bhopal said she was mentally and physically tortured in custody and asked to name Prime Minister Narendra Modi (then Gujarat CM), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and senior Sangh leader Indresh Kumar.
“They told me, ‘Name these people, and we won’t beat you.’ But I didn’t betray the truth,” she said. “They kept insisting I name Modi ji because I lived in Gujarat. But I refused. I couldn’t lie.”
Malegaon Blast: A Timeline of Accusations and Acquittals
The 2008 Malegaon blast killed six people and injured over 100 in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Prasad Purohit were arrested by Maharashtra ATS, who claimed the motorcycle used in the blast belonged to Thakur and the RDX was sourced by Purohit.
In 2011, the case was handed over to the NIA. The case took a controversial turn when, in 2015, special public prosecutor Rohini Salian alleged she was told to “go soft” on the accused. In 2016, the NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet that contradicted ATS claims and said there was insufficient evidence against Thakur.
Court Cites ‘Lack of Evidence’ in Acquittal
On July 12, 2024, a special NIA court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused, including Thakur and Purohit, citing lack of reliable evidence. The court said the bike’s chassis number was tampered with, and noted that Thakur had renounced material life two years before the incident.
The court also ordered compensation—Rs 2 lakh for families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
‘They Tried to Break Me, But I Survived’
Thakur recounted how her health deteriorated due to the alleged torture. “They tortured me so much that my lungs gave up,” she said, adding she was detained illegally in a hospital.
Despite years of court proceedings, hostile witnesses, and intense media scrutiny, she maintained she never wavered in telling the truth. “I didn’t take anyone’s name because it was all a lie. They were forcing me to lie,” she said.
‘The Real Story Will Be Told in My Book’
Now that the court has cleared her of all charges, Sadhvi Pragya said she is writing a book to reveal what she claims really happened during those years. “The truth cannot be buried. I will reveal everything—every attempt made to break me,” she declared.