Lt Col Purohit Promoted To Colonel After Acquittal In 2008 Malegaon Blast Case

Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit -- acquitted in 2008 Malegaon blast case -- has been promoted to the post of Colonel after years of legal battle. Mr Purohit was among the seven accused acquitted by the special NIA court on July 31. While deliverig the verdict, the court had said that "mere suspicion cannot replace proof" and cited lack of reliable and cogent evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

The blast on September 29, 2008, in which six persons were killed and over 100 injured, occurred when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Malegaon town in Maharashtra's Nashik district.  

His arrest was a first for a serving officer of the Indian army in a terror case. His case became contentious, especially with "Hindu terror" turning into a household term.

Mr Purohit had claimed the term was first used by Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar roughly a month before the blast took place in Malegaon, suggesting that a narrative was being formed even before the blasts took place. 

He also claimed that while in custody, he was pressured by the investigators to implicate Yogi Adityanath and other right-wing leaders in the case.

Mr Purohit's legal team said he was an officer of  military intelligence who had infiltrated terror organisations and was reporting regularly to his superiors. They had also highlighted contradictions in witness statements and alleged procedural violations.

After the acquittal, Mr Purohit, who was reinstated in the Army pending trial, had said he was accused of something and then exonerated, and now "bygones should be bygones".

"I want to thank the Indian Army, which is known to hold the hands of its soldiers. I thank my legal team, who fought the case pro bono. I am forever indebted to these people," he ad told NDTV.

Apart from Lt Colonel Purohit, those accused in the case included former BJP MP Pragya Thakur, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (Retd), Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni.