A special court here on Thursday acquitted all the seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, in the September 2008 Malegaon blast case in which six persons were killed and 101 others injured.

Special Judge A K Lahoti, assigned to hear cases of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), flagged several loopholes in the prosecution's case and the investigation carried out, and said the accused persons deserved the benefit of doubt.
Six persons were killed and more than 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in the Malegaon town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, on September 29, 2008.

The judge, while reading out the judgment, said there was no "reliable and cogent" evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. The provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were not applicable to the case, the court said.