Pragya Thakur alleges custodial torture, calls acquittal a ‘Victory of Sanatan Dharma’

Mumbai: In her first public statement following acquittal in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur delivered a scathing indictment of the investigative process, alleging custodial torture, coercion, and politically motivated targeting by senior police officials.

Thakur, who was among several accused cleared of all charges on July 31, described her acquittal as a “victory of saffron, victory of religion, victory of Sanatan and victory of Hindutva.”

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Thakur claimed she was subjected to 24 days of sustained torture while in custody, naming former Mumbai Police Commissioner Paramveer Singh as the principal perpetrator.

“The atrocities they committed cannot even be described because words have a limit,” she said, adding that she had submitted written complaints naming officers involved.

Thakur alleged that investigators pressured her to implicate prominent figures, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and BJP leaders Ram Madhav and Indresh Kumar.

“They told me, ‘If you name these people, we will stop torturing you.’ Their only purpose was to make me tell lies,” she said.

She further claimed that her lung membrane had ruptured due to the alleged torture and that she was held illegally at Sushrusha Hospital before being transferred to another facility.

“I am writing my story. All this will come out,” she said.

Thakur also alleged that she was asked to name Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her time in Gujarat, but she refused.

“Everyone wanted me to tell a lie. But I did not name anyone,” she said.

Calling the case “fabricated” and “baseless,” Thakur accused several officers — including Hemant Karkare, Sukhwinder Singh, and Khanvilkar — of illegal conduct and coercion.

“Even if we are killed, it will not make any difference to us. A patriot always lives and dies for his country,” she said, adding that efforts would be made to “punish” those responsible for the alleged torture.

Her remarks, steeped in religious and nationalist rhetoric, are likely to reignite debate over the handling of the Malegaon investigation and the broader implications of “saffron terror” narratives.

While her acquittal marks the end of a long legal ordeal, the political reverberations of her statement are expected to continue.

IANS