The Bombay High Court quashed charges against four accused, effectively ending the trial in the 2006 Malegaon blast case.
The case saw multiple investigative shifts—from Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad to Central Bureau of Investigation to National Investigation Agency—with changing theories and no convictions.
With both the initially arrested and later accused discharged, the case now stands unresolved nearly 20 years after the attack.
On April 22, 2026, the Bombay High Court discharged four men accused in the 2006 Malegaon blast case, Maharashtra, quashing a special court order that had framed charges against them. The bench, led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Shyam C Chandak, allowed the appeals filed by Rajendra Chaudhary, Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh, and Manohar Ram Singh Narwaria.
The accused had challenged a September 30, 2025 order of a special court that framed charges of murder, attempt to murder, and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In their appeal, they argued that the charges lacked sufficient evidence and also questioned the discharge of other co-accused in the case. With the High Court allowing their plea, the proceedings against them have now come to an end.
The 2006 Malegaon blast case dates back to September 8, 2006, when a series of explosions rocked Malegaon in Nashik district shortly after Friday prayers. Four bombs exploded at multiple locations—three within the premises of Hamidia Masjid and Bada Kabristan, and one at Mushawarat Chowk—killing 37 people and injuring more than 300 others. The attack is considered one of the deadliest terror incidents in Maharashtra.
The investigation initially began with the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, which arrested nine Muslim men. They spent several years in jail before being granted bail in 2011, and were eventually discharged by a special court in 2016 due to lack of evidence.
Later, the probe was taken over by the National Investigation Agency, which changed the direction of the investigation. The agency alleged the involvement of right-wing extremists, relying in part on a confession by Swami Aseemanand. However, he later retracted the statement, claiming it had been made under pressure.
Following this shift, four new accused were arrested in 2013 and later granted bail by the High Court in 2019 after spending years in custody.
With both the initially arrested individuals and the later accused now discharged, the 2006 Malegaon blast case currently stands without any active prosecution. Nearly two decades after the attack, the case has reached a dead end, with no one held accountable for one of the state’s most tragic incidents.
[VP]
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