Union Minister for Textiles Giriraj Singh has congratulated Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit on his return to active service in the Indian Army, following his acquittal in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Singh expressed his support for Purohit, emphasizing the government's solidarity with patriots who serve the nation with courage and integrity.
The 2008 Malegaon blast case involved a tragedy that occurred on September 29, 2008, in which six people were killed and 95 others were injured. An explosive device, strapped to a motorcycle, detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City's Bhikku Chowk. Initially, 11 people were accused, but charges were ultimately framed against seven, including former MP Sadhvi Pragya.
On July 31, a Mumbai NIA court acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, citing the prosecution's failure to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The acquitted included Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya), and Sameer Kulkarni. They were charged under the UAPA, Arms Act, and other related laws.
Following his acquittal, Col. Purohit received a warm welcome in Pune. He expressed his gratitude, stating that he had previously declined such welcomes, waiting until he was completely acquitted.
Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit has been promoted to the rank of Colonel months after his acquittal. The promotion follows years of legal battles. The special NIA court ruled that mere suspicion is not enough for conviction and that proof is needed.
Giriraj Singh congratulated Purohit on his promotion. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also congratulated Purohit and rebuked the Congress party, alleging that their appeasement politics hindered Purohit's rise. Bhandari stated that Purohit finally received justice after facing "harassment" for over 17 years and spending eight years in jail without evidence.
Col. Purohit was born in Pune to a Maharashtrian-Brahmin family. He attended Abhinav School and Garware College. He was commissioned into the Maratha Light Infantry in 1994 after training at the Officers' Training Academy in Chennai. He served in counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir from 2002 to 2005 and later served in Military Intelligence in Nashik. At the time of his arrest, he was studying Arabic at the Army Education Centre in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh. Purohit was arrested on November 4–5, 2008, and subsequently suspended. The Supreme Court granted him bail on August 21, 2017.
