Sadhvi Pragya was badly tortured: Uma Bharti on 2008 Malegaon blast case

New Delhi [India], August 30 (ANI): Former Union Minister and BJP leader Uma Bharti on Saturday said that a false narrative was constructed in the 2008 Malegaon blast case against former Lok Sabha MP Sadhvi Pragya and others arrested in the case, adding that actual perpetrators were not arrested, while "soft targets" were badly tortured.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Uma Bharti said that the Malegaon blast case was used to defame the Hindu community.
"I believe it was a conspiracy to defame the Hindu community and engage in appeasement politics. Those who were involved in this conspiracy forgot that it would not only tarnish India's image domestically but also globally. They had their eyes on power, so they fabricated a fictional story against those they felt were soft targets, such as Colonel Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya, and many others, making them victims," Uma Bharti said.
Former Union Minister also mentioned that former Lok Sabha MP Sadhvi Pragya had to endure severe torture in the case.
"I haven't been in touch with Colonel Purohit, but I saw his wife's television interview where she said his nails were pulled out. However, Sadhvi Pragya's ordeal was of a different magnitude. She was beaten so badly she could barely walk. They pulled out her chair, slapped her over 100 times, and when she asked for water, she was given something else," Bharti said while recalling her conversation with one of the officials who was in her security detail.
"My security inspector, who underwent training abroad, met members of the Maharashtra ATS there. One of the officials told him that she was tortured brutally, receiving over 100 slaps, which left her cheeks blackened. They almost broke her spine...That official told him that even during that torture she used to recite 'Om'," she said.
BJP leader asserted that the real culprits were never caught in the case and demanded that a fresh probe be conducted.
"People lost their lives in the 2008 Malegaon blast. Why were their names (Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh) added to it, and why have the real culprits not been arrested yet? This is a matter of investigation, and the real culprits should be arrested," she said.
The Mumbai NIA court on July 31 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.
The 2008 Malegaon blast case was transferred to the NIA in 2011 from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
After a 17-year-long wait and examination of hundreds of witnesses, the NIA special court acquitted all seven people accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and all other charges.
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 Bhikku Chowk. Originally, 11 people were accused in the case; however, the court ultimately framed charges against 7, including former MP Sadhvi Pragya. (ANI)