"Truth has won": Sadhvi Pragya's sister speaks out after Malegaon blast verdict

Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 31 (ANI): BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh's sister Upma Singh on Thursday reacted emotionally over the acquittal of her sister and other accused in the Malegaon blast case and said that "truth has won."
Speaking on the NIA court's verdict, Upma Singh told ANI, "Truth has won. Sadhvi was with the truth, and that is why she has won... Without proving her crime, she was tortured arbitrarily in a way that cannot be described in words. Only she knows what she suffered."
She further spoke about the trauma their family endured during the trial period.
"Our mother used to go to the storeroom and cry silently so that her children and husband would not feel sad. When Sadhvi was diagnosed with cancer, our father became very tense due to worry. He suffered a brain haemorrhage due to hypertension. He passed away after being bedridden for a few days," she said.
"Bhagwa' has won. 'Hindu Rashtra' has won. 'Sanatan Dharma' has won... Those who wanted the 'Hindu Rashtra' to be declared a terrorist country have failed," Upma Singh said.
Mumbai Special National Investigative Agency Court (NIA) on Thursday acquitted all seven accused of being involved in the 2008 blasts in Malegaon, with the court saying the prosecution failed to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
A total of seven people were accused, including former MP Sadhvi Pragya, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya) and Sameer Kulkarni.
The court had examined 323 prosecution witnesses and eight defence witnesses before pronouncing the verdict. The accused have been acquitted of all charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and all other charges.
"Prosecution proved that a blast occurred in Malegaon but failed to prove that a bomb was placed in that motorcycle," Judge Abhay Lohati said.
On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and 95 others injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City's Bhijju Chowk. Originally, 11 people were charged in the case; however, the court ultimately framed charges against seven.
The lawyer representing the victims' families said that he will be challenging the acquittal of the seven people in the High Court. (ANI)