Latest news with #PrasadShrikantPurohit
NDTV
04-08-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Truth Prevailed": Wife of Lt Col Prasad Purohit On Malegaon Blasts Acquittal
Pune (Maharashtra): Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, recently acquitted in the Malegaon blast case by the NIA court, his wife Aparna Purohit said they were overwhelmed by the support. She also expressed relief that the long legal battle is finally over, and that truth has prevailed. Lt Colonel Purohit was given a grand welcome at his society in Pune on Sunday. People showered him with petals, bursting crackers, and holding up posters that said 'welcome kaka,' expressing their gratitude for his return. Speaking to ANI, Aparna Purohit said, "I am really overwhelmed with the amazing welcome that we got here. It was absolutely unexpected; we didn't expect all was extremely difficult, but we always got the love from our near and dear was always a lot of support here..." "I am glad this is over. Leading a normal life is my plan is always the source of power. We knew that this was something that was wrong that was going on. I am not saying this just because he is my husband. But I knew what he had done for the country. We had decided that come what may, we have to fight against injustice. I am glad that truth has prevailed today," she added. The Mumbai NIA court on July 31 acquitted all seven accuse d of being involved in the 2008 blasts in Malegaon, with the court saying the prosecution failed to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The 2008 Malegaon blast case was transferred to the NIA in 2011 from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). After a 17-year-long wait and examination of hundreds of witnesses, the NIA special court acquitted all seven people accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and all other charges. On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and 95 others injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City's Bhikku Chowk. Originally, 11 people were accused in the case; however, the court ultimately framed charges against 7, including former MP Sadhvi Pragya.
New Indian Express
03-08-2025
- New Indian Express
2008 Malegaon explosion: Not enough evidence to establish guilt
KOCHI: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on July 31, 2025 acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, citing lack of credible evidence to prove their involvement in the crime. The high profile case, which dragged on for 17 years, was under intense scrutiny as the accused included former BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and ex-Army officer Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit. This was also the case that made the term 'Hindu terror' go mainstream as the accused were all Hindus and the victims Muslims. Over the years, the case saw several twists and turns with five presiding judges and more than 300 witnesses, of whom several turned hostile. In his detailed judgment, Special Judge A K Lahoti listed out several reasons to conclude that the prosecution failed to bring any 'cogent evidence' to prove the culpability of the accused. The judge noted that there was not enough evidence to establish that the explosion originated from the bike that allegedly belonged to Pragya Thakur. Also, it could not be proven beyond doubt that the motorcycle was registered in the name of the BJP leader. Without substantial evidence, mere suspicion can't lead to conviction, the court held. The case Around 9.30 pm on September 29, 2008, an explosion took place outside Shakeel Goods Transport Company, located at a crowded street between Anjuman Chowk and Bhiku Chowk in Malegaon city in Maharashtra's Nashik district, killing six persons and injuring 95 others. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which initially investigated the case, traced the blast to an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle, which it claimed was owned by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. She was arrested on charges of terrorism. The ATS later arrested Army officer Lt Col Prasad Purohit for allegedly arranging the RDX used in the blast. In all, 14 people were arrested but only seven eventually stood trial in court. Two accused -- Ramchandra Gopalsingh Kalsangra and Sandeep Vishwas Dange – were reported absconding. The ATS's case was based on the premise that the blast was carried out by right-wing activists during the Ramazan and just before the festival of Navaratri, to create communal unrest. All the six victims — Sayyed Ajhar Sayyed Nisaar, Shaikh Mushtaq Shaikh Yusuf, Shaikh Rafique Shaikh Mustafa, Farheen alias Shagufta Shaikh Liyakat, Harun Shaha Mohammad Shaha, and Irfan Jiyaullah Khan — were killed as they were walking on the street after offering prayers at a nearby mosque. The ATS pinned the motive of the blast on retaliation — to avenge prior attacks on Hindus. And its probe focused on individuals linked to Hindu nationalist circles, especially the organisation Abhinav Bharat.
The Print
02-08-2025
- Politics
- The Print
MCOCA, ‘confessions' & a bomb bike with no owner: How NIA cast doubt on ATS's Malegaon blast probe
Initially, the NIA sought prosecution against 10 in the Malegaon blast case—Army Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, , Jagdish Mhatre, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Rakesh Dhawade, and two absconders, who were not arrested, Ramchandra Kalsangra alias Ramji and Sandeep Dange—under terrorism and criminal conspiracy charges. A Special NIA court, in December 2017, discharged Dhawade and the 11th and 12th person linked to the blast from the case. Due to its contention that an organised crime syndicate did not exist, the NIA did not include key witness statements in its case despite agreeing with the ATS that the accused—now acquitted—were behind the Malegaon blast. The NIA chargesheet also said that the witnesses, who in their statements to the ATS earlier confirmed that the accused hatched a conspiracy for the blast at meetings ahead of the D-Day, gave such statements under duress and police pressure, setting aside the legs on which the case stood. New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the Malegaon blast probe from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), disputed the ATS charges that the accused were part of an organised crime syndicate, leading to the dilution of charges. On Thursday, the Special NIA court acquitted all seven accused, who eventually faced trail proceedings, citing the lack of adequate evidence to establish they were part of a criminal conspiracy. They included the six arrested accused named in the NIA chargesheet, and Pragya Singh Thakur. The NIA, formed in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks in November 2008, was handed the case in April 2011 by the then United Progressive Alliance. The agency took five years to file its final charge sheet in May 2016, a couple of years after the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party ascended to power in May 2014. The agency attributed the delay in filing the chargesheet to case files lying with the Supreme Court while it was deciding the petitions for application of MCOCA in the case. In its charge sheet, the NIA made two broad submissions contradicting the case that the ATS had built—one that no organised crime was behind the Malegaon blast, so the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act sections slapped on the blast accused by the ATS was inapplicable against them. Secondly, the NIA gave a clean chit to Pragya Singh Thakur, who then became the Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha MP from Bhopal in 2019. The agency said that there was insufficient material to prosecute her. The Special NIA court, however, while taking cognisance of the charge sheet, referred the matter for further trial against Pragya Singh Thakur among the other accused, despite the NIA's clean chit to her. The NIA, moreover, argued that the ATS made its case based on the confessions obtained through torture of the co-accused and the witnesses. During re-examination by the central agency, they did not stick to their initial statements, the NIA said. Taking cognisance of the charge sheet, the Special NIA court, however, rejected this particular NIA submission on torture of the accused, referring the matter for further trial and directing a cross-examination of the witnesses. Giving its judgment upholding the acquittals, the Special NIA court said, 'It is also necessary to mention that, two prime investigating agencies were involved in this matter, i.e., ATS and NIA. Both agencies conducted independent investigations and submitted separate charge sheets upon completion thereof. However, the allegations of misconduct, torture, illegal detention have been levelled exclusively against ATS officers and no such accusations have been made against any officer of the NIA. Thus, pointing out towards the treatment given by ATS officers to the witnesses is self-sufficient—which raises serious concern and credibility of evidence collected by ATS officers during the course of investigation.' Also Read: In Mahayuti's poll-winning Ladki Bahin scheme, 14,000 of 26 lakh bogus beneficiaries found to be men How NIA punched holes in initial findings The Maharashtra ATS filed its chargesheet against 14 people in January 2009, charging them under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. Months later, in July 2009, the Special Court in Mumbai dropped the MCOCA proceedings after Purohit sought bail. On an appeal filed by the Maharashtra ATS, the Bombay High Court, however, reversed the Special Court order in July 2010. When the matter reached the Supreme Court in 2015, it upheld MCOCA vis-à-vis one of the accused, Rakesh Dhawade, due to his alleged involvement in two more similar bomb blasts in 2004 outside mosques in Parbhani and Jalna in Maharashtra. The apex court asked the trial court to decide his bail plea under MCOCA, which sets stringent conditions for granting bail, and to dispose of the bail pleas of the remaining accused without considering the MCOCA stipulations. Dhawade has since then been acquitted in the cases against him. The Malegaon blast case took an incredible turn in May 2016, when the NIA raised questions over the MCOCA provisions brought against the accused by the ATS, and the links between the 2008 Malegaon blast, the 2003 Parbhani blast, and the 2004 Jalna blast. The central counter-terrorism agency also raised questions about the credibility of the ATS probe, calling the methods it used 'dubious'. The NIA alleged that despite no credible evidence to link the Malegaon blast accused to the Parbhani blast or the Jalna blast, the ATS booked the same person, Dhawade, in all three cases under MCOCA, indicating that the ATS aimed to keep him in jail. Claiming the chargesheets against Dhawade came in quick succession, the NIA flagged that the moves only came so the stringent MCOCA could be invoked in the case. The agency highlighted that Dhawade was placed under arrest on 2 November 2008 for the Malegaon blast and further arrested in the Parbhani bomb blast on 11 November, the same year. The ATS filed the Parbhani bomb blast charge sheet, just two days after his arrest, the NIA further said, adding that two days later, the ATS arrested him in the Jalna mosque blast on 15 November 2008 and filed the chargesheet on the same day. The NIA argued that the quick frequency of arrests and charge sheets raised doubts over the allegations of the ATS about Dhawade's involvement in the three blast cases. The NIA also said that there was no evidence to back the allegations of the ATS that the other arrested persons in the Malegaon blast case had any awareness of the involvement of Dhawade in the Jalna and Parbhani bomb blasts. Instead, the NIA argued that Dhawade met Purohit for the first time in 2005 in Pune. Considering the date of arrest and the filing of the charge sheets, it was apparent that there had hardly been time available for the ATS Mumbai to collect evidence against the accused before filing its charge sheets, the NIA said in its 2016 charge sheet. 'The said charge sheets were filed with the sole purpose of fulfilling the condition of the enabling provisions of the MCOC Act,' the NIA added. Witnesses 'unreliable' & methods 'dubious' The NIA took a different line on the ATS findings on the LML bike, allegedly used for placing the explosives at the Malegaon blast site. The Maharashtra ATS earlier submitted in its chargesheet that Pragya Singh Thakur owned the LML bike and that she gave it to her aides, Ramchandra Kalsangra alias Ramji, Sandip Dange, and Praveen Takkalk, for executing the blast. The NIA, however, submitted that Ramji had been using the bike for a long time, from before the blast, by sharing statements from four witnesses to support its point. According to the NIA chargesheet, one of the co-accused, Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi, had allegedly confessed before the ATS that when Pragya Singh Thakur met him, Dange, and Ramji at the Indore circuit house, Dange called Dwivedi and Ramji 'reliable men'. Dwivedi's confessions before the ATS also included him revisiting Indore the same month, when Ramji and Dange met him at the circuit house and discussed the Indore riots. Around the same time, Pragya Singh Thakur called Dwivedi and asked him to remind Purohit to provide explosives to Ramji and Dange. At her insistence, Dwivedi called Purohit, who suggested not discussing such topics over the phone, and instead, having the discussion in person when he would be in Ujjain. The NIA charge sheet, however, does not include any of these confessions—it argued the accused gave the statements under provisions of the MCOCA, which the agency had not invoked in the chargesheet. Sudhakar Dwivedi 'retracted from his confessional statement in front of the magistrate', the NIA told the court. 'This confessional statement does not have any evidentiary value' since the agency's charge sheet does not include any MCOCA provisions, the NIA further submitted in the court, thereby diluting the case. The NIA also cited a retracted statement from a prosecution witness, who allegedly earlier told the ATS about his presence at a meeting of Abhinav Bharat in Bhopal in April 2008 when, the witness confessed, Purohit discussed taking revenge on Muslims by carrying out blasts in Muslim-populated areas, especially Malegaon. At the same meeting—Dwivedi allegedly confessed before the ATS—Pragya Singh Thakur offered to provide men for the blasts. During his re-examination by the NIA, Dwivedi retracted his statement and claimed he did not attend any Abhinav Bharat meeting in Bhopal. Instead, he said, he did not visit Bhopal until the ATS took him to a Ram Mandir in the city in May 2012. He later reiterated this claim before a magistrate in a statement recorded under Section 164 CrPC. The NIA cited another witness, who allegedly told the ATS about an 8 October 2008 meeting between Ramji and Pragya Singh Thakur, post the Malegaon blast. Ramji, the witness told the ATS, confessed before Pragya Singh Thakur that he had carried out the Malegaon blast with the help of her LML freedom bike. However, the NIA said in court that the witness, when produced before the Judicial Magistrate 1st Class at Indore on 26 November 2008, complained about torture in the custody of the ATS and that officers forced him to record his previous statement under 164 CrPC. Citing the contradictions in statements recorded by the ATS at various stages, including in the MCOCA depositions, the NIA argued that no case under MCOCA could be made out against any of the accused and also gave a clean chit to Pragya Singh Thakur and five others. The NIA, however, found Purohit and nine others culpable of prosecution under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and the Indian Penal Code. On the other hand, the Special NIA court in Mumbai found sufficient material to justify trial proceedings against Pragya Singh Thakur also. Charges were framed against a total of seven accused, leading to an exhaustive trial, which ended in the acquittals of all the accused Thursday. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Post Malegaon verdict, Congress distances itself from 'saffron terror' as BJP slams it for 'defaming Hindus'
India Today
01-08-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Where is Lt Col Purohit after fighting Malegaon blast taint for 17 years?
When Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit donned the Army uniform over three decades ago to serve the nation. He could hardly have imagined finding himself accused in a terrorism case, least of all one tied to a bomb blast that killed six people in his home state, Maharashtra. Today, acquitted of all charges in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, Purohit stands vindicated after a 17-year ordeal. But where is the soldier who fought a case that almost destroyed his life?advertisementReleased on bail by the Supreme Court in 2017, he has since continued his service in the Indian Army, and is currently with the Military Intelligence wing, a source, requesting anonymity, told India Today his acquittal on July 31, an emotional Purohit addressed the NIA court and said, "I am a soldier who loves this country unconditionally... The country is always supreme, its foundation must be strong." The Malegaon blast was projected as a case of "Hindu terror" and "saffron terror" by UPA-era politicians and his harrowing experience, Purohit said, "I am a victim of mentally ill people."The Maharashtra ATS had claimed that the RDX used for the blast in Malegaon was procured from Kashmir by Lt Col Purohit and stored at his residence, thus making him one of the central figures of the NIA court on July 31 acquitted Lt Col Purohit of all LOST RANKS, REMAINED A LIEUTENANT COLONELPurohit's journey in the military started in 1994 when he was commissioned into the Maratha Light Infantry after passing out of the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. He served in counter-terrorism operations in Jammu & Kashmir from 2002 to 2005, according to a report in The Indian he was posted to the Military Intelligence wing in Nashik, a source told India Today Col Purohit's arrest in the Malegaon blast case marked the first time a serving Army officer was implicated in a terrorism-related case in during his nine-year incarceration, Purohit was "always in service"."He was always in service. But since he was in jail, he couldn't serve," said Smita Mishra, author of 'Lt Colonel Purohit: The Man Betrayed?', in a conversation with India Today Digital."I am not clear about the Indian Army's technicalities, but I know that he was never relieved of his service," she clarified that Purohit's intelligence operations were "with complete sanction of his seniors", who were "completely kept in the loop" about his intelligence-gathering activities."The Army is totally with him," Mishra affirmed, without revealing details of his current role, stating, "It might compromise his and his family's security."advertisementNotably, in 2017, Brigadier Raj Kumar (retired), a nodal officer of the Army enquiry into the Malegaon blast case, said that the Army enquiry did not find any evidence that Purohit had supplied RDX for the blast. However, Purohit couldn't explain the possession of two illegal weapons at his residence."Obviously, he lost promotions. Otherwise, he wouldn't be a Lieutenant Colonel now," said Mishra, describing Purohit as "one of the brightest officers of his generation" and "one of the finest intelligence officers we have in the country".LT COL PUROHIT: FROM STUDYING ARABIC TO BEING TORTUREDWhile studying Arabic at the Army Education Centre in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, during a break from his Nashik posting, Lt Col Purohit was picked up with what he says was a forged movement was told he was being taken to Delhi, but was instead taken to Mumbai and kept in illegal detention for a few days before his formal arrest in November 2008, according to hardships after his arrest were both physical and Army officer who was taking lectures and training sessions for juniors was suddenly reduced to a man in uniform was being tortured by men in uniform," said Mishra, referring to the harsh treatment that Lt Col Purohit faced at the hands of Maharashtra ATS personnel."The physical torture that he faced, left him with physical injuries as well as scars in his mind," Mishra told India Today Digital.A WIFE'S RELENTLESS FIGHT FOR HER HUSBAND'S ACQUITTALThe case took a toll on Purohit's personal life. Married with two sons, his family faced intense social stigma."From a well-known patriotic family of Pune, his family suddenly became the family of a terrorist," Mishra his wife fought relentlessly for his acquittal, working closely with the legal team to the point where "she almost became a lawyer in the process", Mishra said."She worked on the cases... Because there were not too many people coming forward at that time, the political situation was such, he became a pariah suddenly."The couple's children, particularly the younger son who was "just a toddler" during Purohit's arrest, grew up in the absence of their father, and facing ostracism."They were stigmatised in their schools and in society as children of a terrorist," Mishra said. The elder son later contributed to the legal efforts as he grew INTELLIGENCE WORK ON JIHADI NETWORKS, MAOISTSMishra asserted that Purohit's implication in the Malegaon blasts was a "political conspiracy" to derail his intelligence work."He had penetrated very deep into this jihadi network, the SIMI, the Indian Mujahideen, and all their offshoots," including their "nexus with the Maoists" and "some relations of this terror network with some powers in the establishment then", she source, who spoke anonymously, said Purohit was targeted "because he knew too much".They tried to "get him out of the way" and "make him the face of Hindu terror", a narrative she claims was orchestrated "at the highest level of the political leadership of that time".Mishra clarified that Purohit's intelligence operations were "with complete sanction of his seniors", who were "completely kept in the loop".He did not operate as part of a group with other accused, such as Pragya Thakur, whom he came to know only when the case was [filed]. "He just knew them," Mishra said, emphasising that he was not part of any organised team or acquitted, Purohit continues to serve in military intelligence, with the Army's full the physical and psychological scars, Purohit's dedication to the nation remains steadfast, as he continues his service under the weight of a hard-fought acquittal, said the source.- Ends
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Malegaon blast verdict: Who is Lt Col. Prasad Purohit? The army officer who faced terror charges and walked free after court's acquittal
NEW DELHI: Lt Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit is an Indian Army officer who became a central figure in one of the most controversial terror cases in the country's recent history the 2008 Malegaon blast case. At the time of his arrest, he was serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in military intelligence. On September 29, 2008, a bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring over 100. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Lt Col. Purohit in November 2008 for allegedly being part of the conspiracy that led to the blast. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai His arrest marked the first time a serving army officer had been implicated in a terrorism-related case in the country. Purohit spent nearly nine years in custody before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in September 2017. The case against him and others became politically and socially contentious, especially after the term 'Hindu terror' entered the public discourse. Purohit himself claims this phrase was first used shortly before the blast by a political party leader, suggesting a narrative was being framed even before the event. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Unforgettable Cars from the Past Undo In his final statement before a special NIA court, Purohit denied all charges, calling the entire case a fabrication. He alleged that senior officers of the ATS tortured him physically and mentally during his illegal detention in Khandala, where he claims he was treated 'worse than a prisoner of war.' He also alleged that he was pressured to name prominent leaders from right-wing organisations like the RSS and VHP, including now-Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. Purohit claimed that false evidence, including RDX, was planted to implicate him. According to his court statement, witnesses were coerced, threatened at gunpoint, and tortured into giving statements dictated by the ATS to align with a political agenda. He accused investigating officers of having orchestrated extra-judicial killings of other suspects and fabricating evidence to fit a pre-decided narrative. He further argued that his work in military intelligence which included reports on fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's alleged links to Maoist groups and an intelligence brief on Zakir Naik's funding activities may have made him a target. He believes these reports, which also named certain politicians, could have contributed to his framing. Despite the years-long legal ordeal, Lt Col. Purohit was reinstated in the Army pending trial and continued to serve. 'Even after coming out on bail, my conviction never changed,' he said on Thursday, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to keep serving the nation. A special court acquitted all seven accused, including him, in the Malegaon blast case, stating there was 'no reliable and cogent evidence' against them. The court underscored that terrorism has no religion and that convictions cannot be based on mere perception. Reflecting on his long battle, Purohit remarked, 'No investigating agency is wrong; it is the people serving in these agencies who are wrong. This nation is great. We must take care that wrong people do not rise and make people like us suffer.'
