2006 Malegaon Blasts: Bombay HC Overturns NIA Charges, 4 Accused Freed

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday discharged four accused in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case, which killed 31 people and injured 312. 

A bench headed by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar quashed the order framing charges against four accused — Rajendra Chaudhary, Dhan Singh, Manohar Ram Singh Narwaria and Lokesh Sharma. 

The HC passed the judgement hearing a plea by two accused, through advocate Kaushik Mhatre, challenging a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court’s September 30, 2025, order framing charges against them.

In January this year, the HC had condoned a 49‑day delay in filing the appeal, noting that the challenge was a statutory appeal under Section 21 of the National Investigation Agency Act (NIA Act).  It then stayed the trial court order noting that a prima facie case for interference was made out and had stayed further proceedings before the trial court pending the outcome of the appeal.

It allowed the appeal today and discharged all four appellants.

On September 8, 2006, after the blast,  an offence was registered under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other laws against unknown persons following serial blasts in the powerloom town.

The investigation was first conducted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which arrested 12 accused and filed a charge sheet in December 2006. 

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The probe was subsequently transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in February 2007, and later taken over by the NIA, which, after further investigation, arrayed the four appellants among other accused and filed a fresh charge sheet.

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