Lt. Col Purohit promoted after acquittal in 2008 Malegaon case
What's the story
Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit has been promoted to the rank of full Colonel following his acquittal in the 2008 Malegaon blast case in July. The promotion ceremony, captured in a widely circulated image, shows Purohit getting his new insignia amid a small group of other officers. A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court had acquitted Purohit, after finding no "cogent and reliable" evidence to convict him or the other six accused in the high-profile terror case.
Arrest details
Purohit was arrested in 2008
The blast, which took place on September 29, 2008, killed six people and injured over a hundred when a bomb-laden motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Maharashtra's Nashik district. Purohit was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in November 2008 for allegedly masterminding the Malegaon blasts. He was accused of procuring RDX from Jammu and Kashmir and fabricating the bomb at his home. The ATS charge-sheeted Purohit along with 10 other accused on January 20, 2009.
Legal proceedings
Purohit spent nearly 9 years in jail
Purohit spent nearly nine years in jail before he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in September 2017. His bail plea had earlier been rejected by the Bombay High Court. The special court, while acquitting him, said there was insufficient evidence beyond reasonable doubt to prove his direct involvement or conspiracy in the blast. Reacting to his acquittal, Purohit said: "I am a soldier who loves this country immensely."
Promotion and allegations
Purohit was promoted to Colonel after acquittal
He had alleged earlier this year that he was tortured by ATS officers who coerced him into naming senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders, including Yogi Adityanath. The other accused in the case include former MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya), and Sameer Kulkarni.