Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 11 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday congratulated Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit for promotion to the rank of Brigadier.
Recalling his acquittal in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, Shinde said that Lt Col Purohit's promotion serves as a "measure of solace".
"Heartfelt congratulations to Colonel Purohit, who was implicated in the Malegaon blast case during the Congress era through doctored evidence, on receiving his promotion to Brigadier. Colonel Purohit is a true patriot, and the court has acquitted him as innocent in the Malegaon case due to lack of evidence. This promotion serves as some measure of solace for the mental agony he has endured," the Shiv Sena leader wrote.
Lt Col Purohit's promotion came after the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) stayed his retirement, which was due on March 31, while hearing his plea seeking promotion and related service benefits. The tribunal had issued notice to the Ministry of Defence and directed that his retirement remain on hold until a decision is taken on his statutory complaint.
Purohit had approached the tribunal claiming that his career progression had been adversely affected due to the prolonged trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, in which he was an accused before being acquitted. He argued that the delay in the judicial process denied him a fair opportunity for promotion within the Army hierarchy.
The Mumbai NIA court on July 31 had acquitted Purohit and six others in the Malegaon blast case, observing that the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. The verdict came after years of investigation and trial proceedings.
Originally, 11 people were accused in the case; however, the court ultimately framed charges against seven. The other six who were acquitted alongside Purohit included former MP Sadhvi Pragya, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya) and Sameer Kulkarni.
The Malegaon blast incident occurred on September 29, 2008, when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in the Bhikku Chowk area of Malegaon city in Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring 95 others.
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