Malegaon terror victims to challenge acquittal of Pragya Singh, Col Purohit and others in Bombay High Court

Agencies
July 31, 2025

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Mumbai, July 31: Families of the victims in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast case have announced plans to challenge the recent acquittal of all seven accused by the Special NIA Court. The victims’ lawyer, Shahid Nadeem, confirmed that they will file an appeal in the Bombay High Court, and if necessary, escalate the matter to the Supreme Court.

Nearly 17 years after the Malegaon blast, a special court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused, noting there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" against them. Those acquitted include former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur alias Swami Purnachetanand Giri, former Military Intelligence official Lt Col Prasad Purohit (Retd), and Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi alias Dayanand Pandey alias Swami Amrutanand Devtirth, a self-proclaimed Shankaracharya.

‘We Will Not Stop Here’

“We will not stop here… we will move the Bombay High Court, we will move the Supreme Court,” Nadeem said, urging the Maharashtra government to act with the same urgency it displayed in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case. Last week, the state moved the Supreme Court within 24 hours of the acquittal of 12 individuals in that case.

“The government must show the same speed in the Malegaon case as well,” he added.

Court’s Observations and Families’ Response

The Special Court acknowledged that the Malegaon blast occurred — killing six people and injuring over 100 — but acquitted the accused by extending them the benefit of doubt. “This is not a clear acquittal,” Nadeem asserted. “Accused No.10 (Sudhakar Chaturvedi) claimed no bomb blast took place, but that is false. We will file the appeal independently.”

He also expressed anguish at the 17 year wait for justice: “The victims are not at fault. They came from Malegaon to testify and show their wounds, but the agencies failed — ATS and the government both failed. The court gave benefit of doubt only because of investigative lapses.”

PIL Against Investigating Agency

Separately, lawyer activist Nitin Satpute announced plans to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, naming the NIA as a respondent.

“The investigating agency deliberately left lapses in evidence collection and filed a defective chargesheet to shield the accused,” Satpute alleged. “An FIR must be filed against officers who failed to investigate properly at someone’s behest. I will be filing a PIL to demand accountability.”

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Mangaluru East police have registered a case following a sophisticated online fraud where a 57-year-old local resident was allegedly cheated out of ₹13.4 lakh after being targeted on Facebook.

The scam began in February when the complainant, while browsing Facebook reels, was contacted by a woman identifying herself as "Lillian Mary George" from London. After establishing a chat relationship, the woman claimed she would visit India in November and bring a significant sum of money.

The trap was sprung on November 15, when the victim received a call from a woman named "Sonali Gupta," who claimed Lillian had arrived at Mumbai International Airport but was detained by customs. The fraudsters convinced the man that Lillian was carrying £25,000 (about ₹26 lakh) in traveller’s cheques and 1 kg of gold (valued at around ₹30 lakh).

Under the pretense of clearing these items, the victim was asked to make numerous online transfers between November 15 and 18 for various bogus charges, including:

•    "Pounds exchange registration"
•    "Customs declaration issues"
•    "Discount charges"
•    "Money-laundering charges"

Believing the fictitious story, the complainant transferred the cumulative sum of ₹13.4 lakh to various bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. He realised he was cheated when the culprits later promised a refund within two days but stopped answering his calls. The Mangaluru East police are now investigating the case, which highlights the continuing threat of transnational cyber fraud using social engineering and promises of fictitious wealth.

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News Network
December 3,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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