Coerced to name Yogi, RSS leaders: Key witness reveals ATS torture in Malegaon blast case

In a dramatic turn following the acquittal of all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, a key witness has told the court he was tortured and pressured by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to implicate the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionaries in the bombing that killed six and injured over 100.

Milind Joshirao, one of the 39 prosecution witnesses who turned hostile during the trial, testified before the special NIA court that ATS officers — including then Additional Commissioner Param Bir Singh and DCP Shrirao — detained him for a week and threatened him with torture unless he named prominent Hindu leaders in connection with the alleged right-wing conspiracy.

“They treated me like an accused,” Joshirao told the court. “I was kept at the ATS office for seven days. They pressured me to name five RSS figures — Yogi Adityanath, Asimanand, Indresh Kumar, Professor Devdhar, Sadhvi, and Kakaji — promising release in return. When I refused, they threatened me with torture.”

Special NIA Judge A K Lahoti, in his detailed judgment acquitting all accused on July 31, noted that Joshirao’s statement appeared to be involuntary and was recorded solely by an ATS officer — casting serious doubt on its admissibility and authenticity.

Blasts, arrests, and a shifting narrative

The September 2008 blast in Malegaon was initially investigated by the Maharashtra ATS, which accused members of the alleged right-wing extremist group Abhinav Bharat of orchestrating the attack. Among the arrested were BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Army officer Lt Col Prasad Purohit, and five others.

The ATS alleged a radical plan to establish a Hindu Rashtra named Aryavart, overthrow the Constitution, and train cadres in guerrilla warfare. According to the agency, Purohit had raised ₹21 lakh to fund the operation. The vehicle used in the blast — a motorcycle — was allegedly registered to Thakur.

But the case took a sharp turn after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over. A supplementary chargesheet dropped serious charges against several accused, including Pragya Thakur, citing insufficient evidence. The trial, which began in 2018, lasted over six years.

In acquitting all seven accused, the court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove core elements of its case — including the ownership of the motorcycle, the planting of the bomb, or the sourcing of explosives.

‘Saffron terror’ angle under scrutiny

In another explosive revelation, former ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar told India Today that Param Bir Singh had instructed him to arrest RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to bolster a narrative of “saffron terror.” The claim, though yet unverified, has intensified scrutiny over the ATS’s conduct during the investigation.

Mujawar alleged the goal was to craft a broader political narrative linking Hindu groups to terrorism. He described internal pressure within the force to make high-profile arrests and construct a communal conspiracy.

A high-profile case collapses

The Malegaon blast case had once symbolized a turning point in India’s terror investigations — shifting the focus from Islamist groups to alleged Hindu radical outfits. But the eventual collapse of the prosecution’s case, the reversal by NIA, and judicial criticism of ATS methods have reignited debate over investigative integrity and the dangers of politicized probes.

With the acquittal now final and explosive courtroom revelations surfacing, questions loom large: Was justice delayed, or nearly derailed by coercion and bias?