Who Is Controversial Godwoman Pragya Thakur, Acquitted In Malegaon Blast Case

In 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded a parliamentary candidate who was at that time facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA, India’s primary anti‑terror statute. Pragya Singh Thakur, widely known as Sadhvi Pragya, had been arrested in October 2008 in connection with the Malegaon bomb blast, an explosion near a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra, that killed six people and injured nearly 100. She was released on bail in 2017 on health grounds, having denied all charges and cited custodial ill‑treatment.

On Thursday, after nearly 17 years of legal proceedings, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused in the Malegaon blast case, including Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt, highlighting serious lapses such as a lack of reliable evidence, inconclusive forensic findings, defective sanction orders under UAPA, and the absence of proof linking the accused directly to the motorcycle allegedly used in the attack.

In her first public reaction outside the court premises, Sadhvi Pragya declared, “Bhagwa ki vijay hui hai” (saffron, the colour associated with the Hindu faith, has triumphed), and called the verdict a victory of truth and dharma. She told the court, “I have been saying from the very beginning that those who are called for investigation, there should be a basis behind that. I was called by them for investigation and was arrested and tortured. This ruined my whole life. I was living a sage’s life, but I was made an accused, and no one was willingly standing beside us. I am alive because I am a Sanyasi,” according to ANI.

She had long maintained that she was falsely implicated and subjected to custodial torture. The court also ordered compensation to the victims’ families, ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 to each of the injured, marking a formal judicial closure of the case after an unusually protracted process.

‘Tomboyish’ Youth, Sangh Affiliation, Turn to Asceticism

Pragya Singh Thakur was born on 2 February 1970 in Lahar, a village in the Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh. Her father, Chandrapal Singh Thakur, practised as an Ayurvedic doctor and also served as a demonstrator in the agriculture department. He was closely affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Growing up, Pragya was known for her tomboyish demeanour; she cropped her hair short, wore T‑shirts and jeans, and enjoyed riding motorbikes as a teenager. In college, she pursued a Master’s degree in History at Lahar College, Bhind and developed a reputation as a persuasive orator among student groups.

In 1993, she joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, eventually rising to the position of state secretary before leaving in 1997. Following her departure from ABVP, Pragya became involved with other organisations aligned with the Sangh Parivar.

She was active in the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) known as Durga Vahini. She associated with groups such as the Rashtrawadi Sena, the Hindu Jagran Manch and reportedly had a founding role in the Jai Vande Mataram Jan Kalyan Samiti, another RSS offshoot.

Under the mentorship of Swami Avadheshanand Giri, Pragya adopted a new identity as a sadhvi, often styling herself as Purna Chetanand Giri Sharma, and began travelling across Indore, Jabalpur and Surat to attend religious gatherings.

She remained unmarried and took to religious asceticism. She travelled and preached across the country, projecting an austere, devotional image while maintaining active engagement in right-wing public discourse.

Throughout this period, her public speeches frequently focused on issues such as cow protection, opposition to religious conversion, and the defence of Hindu cultural identity, often directed at sizeable local audiences in her capacity as a religious and political activist.

Malegaon And Aftermath

On 29 September 2008, a bomb exploded near Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon, targeting areas populated by Muslim worshippers, killing six and injuring dozens. The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested several individuals linked to right-wing groups, including Pragya Singh Thakur. Charges were framed in 2018 under sections 16 and 18 of the UAPA and provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy and murder.

In 2025, final arguments reportedly spanned over 1,000 pages, according to legal representatives involved in the case and even included a plea for death sentences under Section 16 of the UAPA. The NIA had previously given Thakur a “clean chit” in a 2016 supplementary chargesheet; yet the court had allowed the trial to proceed. During the trial, 323 witnesses were examined; 39 turned hostile, while some reportedly died before they could testify.

The BJP’s announcement of Thakur as its Bhopal candidate in April 2019 sparked controversy. Critics questioned the suitability of someone under trial for terrorism-related charges, while supporters hailed her as a victim of political persecution. The party leadership defended the decision, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi presenting it as a response to perceived defamation of Hindu culture.

During the campaign, some of her remarks attracted public attention. She referred to Nathuram Godse as a patriot in Lok Sabha, and suggested that her curse had caused the death of former Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare, he died in Mumbai in gunfire exchanged during the 26/11 terrorist attack. She retracted both statements after protests, and the BJP distanced itself from them too, citing breach of discipline. Nonetheless, Thakur won the seat by over 3.6 lakh votes and was sworn in.

Symbolic Politics, Limited Legislative Role

As an MP, Thakur’s parliamentary attendance and contributions have been modest. She served on the Standing Committee on Railways and the consultative committee for the Ministry of Defence, but her overall legislative footprint remained limited. Her public speeches frequently blend devotional language with political messaging, such as her claim in 2020 that cow urine had cured her cancer, a statement not corroborated by medical professionals.

She remained active on social media, sharing clips of speeches, devotional chants and commentary aligned with the BJP’s ideology. The BJP did not field her as a candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Following the acquittal, Thakur told reporters that the case had destroyed her youth and health, that she had “lived like a prisoner” for 17 years. She said her faith and the support of Hindu saints had helped her survive. “I am grateful to my god, to the courts and to the people who believed in me,” she said as soon as she stepped outside the NIA court in Mumbai.