For Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case and now BJP’s candidate against Congress veteran Digvijay Singh from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, it has been a tumultuous journey.
Saffron-clad Thakur (48), with her trademark short hair and sporting a rudraksh mala, became the face of right wing extremism after being arrested by the Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Currently she is out on bail.
On 27 December, 2017, a special NIA court had dropped stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act charges against Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya, Sameer Kulkarni and other accused in the blast case.