The son of Ramji Kalsangra, a wanted suspect in the 2008 Malegaon blast, has welcomed the court's verdict but still seeks answers for himself and his family regarding his father's whereabouts, who has been missing for 17 years.
On September 29, 2008, an explosive device tied to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon city, about 200 kilometers from Mumbai, resulting in six deaths and injuring 101 others. Seventeen years later, a special court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused on Thursday, citing a 'lack of reliable and substantial evidence.'
Devvrat Kalsangra informed a news agency in Indore that the verdict brought clarity to the case, proving that the concept of 'saffron terrorism' was never genuine.
A distressed Devvrat asked, "Since 2008, our entire family has struggled with this uncertainty: is my father still alive or not? What could be more painful than receiving no information about him for 17 years?"
He shared, "Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers used the excuse of my father's whereabouts to disturb our family for an extended period. I want to ask the former ATS investigation officers if my mother should see herself as married or a widow."
He alleged that the ATS might have illegally detained his father, and something unfortunate might have happened during that time.
Demanding a thorough investigation into his father's disappearance and strict action against those responsible, Devvrat said, "We are still awaiting justice. My mother, my two brothers, and my grandparents still hope that one day we will receive concrete news about my father."
Devvrat noted that his father originally came from a farmer's family and worked as an electrician, residing in the Bengali Chauraha area before his disappearance 17 years ago.
