The 2008 Malegaon blast case remains legally significant, with recent developments continuing to shape discussions around military officer rights and judicial oversight in India.

Lt Col Purohit’s Plea Denied

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied an appeal by Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, who was looking for a SIT investigation into his purported kidnapping, illegal detention and brutal suffering in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The bench, encompassing with Judges Ranjan Gogoi, Naveen Sinha and K M Joseph, said admittance of the plea by Lt Col Purohit might meddle the proceeding in the ongoing trial in the case.

The Supreme Court, conversely, has permitted Purohit to advance his disputations in the trial court. The direction came once the SC showed consensuses with senior advocate Harish Salve, acting for Purohit that “some agency has to look into it”.

Last month on August 27, he moved to the apex court in the quest of court-supervised enquiry into his purported kidnapping, unlawful detention and brutal suffering in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. He told the Supreme Court that it was the outright self-assertive and illegal activities of the authorities of the Centre and other offices of the State. Amid the significant time concerning the abduction of the Applicant, a serving Officer of the Intelligence Corps of the Indian Army and his ruthless torment condition in the custody.

He mentioned that he had made various complaints in this respect to all the competent authorities and looked for redressal for his objections.

Lt Col Purohit sought reimbursement for his illegal detainment and for being tortured viciously by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra, the plea mentioned. He indicated to the latest interview given by the former joint secretary in the ministry of home affairs, quoting the interview, the supplication said it uncovered the “applicant had been framed by a few groups in the past government for political reasons, presenting fear that beneath the guise of Saffron Terror”.

Lt Col Purohit mentioned in his appeal that he was brutally tormented for eight days and was captured and tormented by Anti-Terrorism Squad officers sometime recently, after being produced in court.

It was stated in the plea that Lt Col Purohit is an adorned officer and has got many approbation and awards from the Chief of Army staff, and has shown the courage to eradicate and dismantle the terror networks by the well-established organised network.

Last year, the supreme court of India granted bail to Lt Col Purohit by notwithstanding the Bombay High Court’s order, in which the bail was repudiated. Lt Col Purohit added that he was trapped in a “political crossfire”. The MCOCA prior pronounced that the Anti-Terrorism Squad erroneously used this law against the accused.

Almost seven people were killed and near about 101 injured in the bomb blast in Malegaon in north Maharashtra’s Nashik district on September 29, 2008. The blast occurred where a sufficient Muslim population resided in that particular area. 

In the charge-sheet filed, Lt Purohit and Swami Dayanand Pandey are the accused mastermind behind the blast.