Charges against eight Muslim youths accused in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blasts case were today drop by a special court in Mumbai due to lack of evidence against them.

The criminals were freed by V V Patil, Designated Judge of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), almost 10 years after the serial bomb blasts outside a Muslim cemetry near a Mosque at Malegaon, near Nashik, on September 8, 2006, killing 37 people and leaving over 100 injured.

Bombs were planted on a bicycle parked near the cemetry while Friday prayers were on at the Mosque on the occasion of Shab-e-Baraat.

Nine accused were firstly arrested in the case and charges heated by the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS). One of them died as the case was waiting. Later, CBI, which took over the investigations, also confirmed the alleged against them.

Later, NIA was asked to investigate the case and the agency arrested a further set of people belonging to the majority community, who keep on to be charged in the case.

As per the judge said, “he was accepting the discharge application filed by the 8 accused as there was no evidence to prove their guilt”