Emotions ran high inside the special NIA courtroom in Mumbai on Thursday, as former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur broke down moments after being acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The verdict, which cleared all seven accused, brought a dramatic close to one of the most controversial terror cases in the country.

The court ruled that the prosecution had “failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.” Judge A.K. Lahoti observed that while it was confirmed a blast occurred on September 29, 2008, in Malegaon’s Bhikku Chowk, the evidence failed to establish a direct link between the accused and the motorcycle used in the bombing.

Pragya Singh Thakur, who had spent years under scrutiny and trial, addressed the court with visible emotion. “I was tortured to the point that my life was destroyed. For 17 years, I lived a life of a sanyasi. Society saw me as a terrorist,” she said, her voice breaking. “I survived because I was a sanyasi. Bhagwan (God) fought this case for me.”

She further added, “At least this court has heard me. I didn’t win this case, saffron won. Those who called bhagwa a symbol of terrorism—God will never forgive them.”

The special NIA court also highlighted inconsistencies in the investigation. It noted manipulation in some medical records and clarified that the actual number of people injured was 95, not 101 as originally claimed.

The Malegaon blast had claimed six lives and injured dozens. Among the initially 11 accused, charges were eventually framed against seven people: Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, Major (Retd.) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi, and Sameer Kulkarni.

Following the verdict, the court directed the Maharashtra government to pay ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to each injured person. The judgment has sparked fresh political debate over the handling of the case, the term “saffron terror,” and the role of investigative agencies under different governments.