Overview

• The special NIA court in Mumbai on July 31 cleared all accused, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, for lack of reliable proof
• Judge A. K. Lahoti pointed to gaps in forensic analysis, contaminated samples and improper spot panchnama as key factors in the acquittal
• The prosecution charged the seven under UAPA sections 16 and 18 and various IPC offenses, presenting testimony from 323 witnesses during the trial
• The September 2008 blast killed six and injured more than 100 people, triggering an ATS probe that shifted to the NIA in 2011 and culminated in a formal trial beginning in 2018
• Victims’ families have signaled plans to challenge the court’s decision in the high court