The Bombay High Court, in a ruling made public on Thursday, discharged four accused in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case, stating that the investigation appears to have reached a 'dead end.' The court criticized the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for disregarding incriminating evidence collected by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). The blasts, which occurred on September 8, 2006, in Malegaon, Maharashtra, resulted in 31 fatalities and 312 injuries. The court found that the NIA's case relied heavily on retracted confessions and circumstantial evidence, leading to inherent contradictions with the ATS's earlier findings. The bench referenced historical legal principles to emphasize the need for reliable evidence, concluding that the prosecution had failed to establish a credible case against the accused, who had already spent over six years in custody without trial. The court's decision raises critical questions about accountability for the attacks, which involved bomb explosions at multiple locations, including Hamidia Masjid and Bada Kabrastan.