Pragya Thakur Claims She Was Forced to Link PM Modi, Yogi Adityanath in Malegaon Blast Investigation

Former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case by a special NIA court, has made a startling allegation: she says Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers coerced her into naming national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during interrogation. According to her, threats of torture were issued if she did not obey.

Pragya Thakur, who had maintained her innocence throughout the longest terror trial in Indian history, claims she was illegally held for 13 days and subjected to physical coercion. She claims: “They kept saying, ‘Name these people then we won’t beat you’.” She highlights that these attempts were politically motivated and framed by rival parties to destroy her reputation.

Her statement has amplified concerns over investigative practices in the case. Notably, a former witness, Milind Joshirao, told the court that he too was subjected to custodial pressure to implicate Yogi Adityanath and RSS figures though the court deemed his testimony involuntary and inadmissible due to credibility issues and lack of free will.

In reaction to her acquittal, she described the verdict as a milestone for “Bhagwa, Sanatana and Rashtra,” naming it as a clearsight conspiracy against her and six others. She accused the Congress party of framing the case, claiming acquittal through truth and justice prevails. Her emotional reaction comes after a legal battle spanning 17 years, during which she says her life was destroyed and her dignity undermined by allegations lacking evidence.

A special NIA court in Mumbai granted full acquittal for all accused in the case, citing insufficient and unreliable evidence under UAPA, arms, and conspiracy charges. The judgement underlined that suspicion alone cannot warrant conviction and questioned the evidentiary basis of the ATS-led inquiry.

As the fallout continues, attention is shifting to investigative oversight and the credibility of coercive interrogation tactics. Thakur’s claims are now central to debates over methods used in high-profile terror probes and the extent of political interference in criminal investigations.

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