Serial bombings in Malegaon, India in 2006 prompted investigations into both Islamist and Hindu nationalist militant networks, with all accused ultimately acquitted in 2025.
Key Facts
- Date
- 8 September 2006
- Location
- Malegaon, Nashik district, Maharashtra
- Distance from Mumbai
- 290 km northeast
- Initial suspects
- Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)
- Later accused group
- Abhinav Bharat (8 members charged, 2013)
- Final verdict
- All accused acquitted, July 2025
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Maharashtra's Nashik district, had a history of sectarian tension. The Maharashtra ATS initially attributed the attack to the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), reflecting concerns about Islamist militancy in the region at the time.
On 8 September 2006, bomb blasts struck Malegaon, a town approximately 290 km northeast of Mumbai. The attack drew immediate attention from state and national security agencies, prompting investigations by the Maharashtra ATS and later a joint inquiry with the NIA.
A 2013 NIA-ATS chargesheet shifted blame to eight alleged members of Hindu nationalist group Abhinav Bharat, representing a significant investigative reversal. However, due to insufficient evidence, the accused were released from charges, and a Mumbai special court formally acquitted all of them in July 2025.