Army clears Lt Col Shrikant Purohit, acquitted in Malegaon blasts case, for promotion: Report

NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, who was acquitted past twelvemonth successful the Malegaon blast case, has been cleared for promotion to the fertile of brigadier, sources said connected Friday. In July 2025, an NIA tribunal acquitted Purohit and six others, including erstwhile BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, successful the case.Purohit had moved the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) pursuing his acquittal, claiming that his vocation progression had been "adversely affected" by the prolonged trial. He argued that delays successful the judicial process denied him a just accidental for promotion wrong the Army hierarchy.Also Read: Who is Lt Col. Prasad Purohit? The service serviceman who faced panic charges and walked escaped aft court's acquittalLast month, the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) stayed his retirement, which was owed connected March 31, portion proceeding his plea seeking promotion and related work benefits.

The tribunal directed the Ministry of Defence to support his status connected clasp until a determination is taken connected his statutory complaint.At the clip of his apprehension successful November 2008, Purohit was serving arsenic a lieutenant colonel successful subject quality — marking the archetypal lawsuit of a serving Army serviceman being implicated successful a terrorism-related lawsuit successful the country.He spent astir 9 years successful custody earlier being granted bail by the Supreme Court successful September 2017.

Malegaon blast

The blast occurred connected September 29, 2008, erstwhile an explosive instrumentality strapped to a motorcycle detonated adjacent a mosque successful the Bhikku Chowk country of Malegaon successful Maharashtra, sidesplitting six radical and injuring 95 others.Originally, 11 radical were accused successful the case; however, the tribunal yet framed charges against seven.The lawsuit was handed implicit to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) successful 2011 from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Investigators examined hundreds of witnesses implicit astir 17 years earlier each the accused were acquitted of charges nether the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and different provisions.Those acquitted alongside Purohit and Thakur were Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya), and Sameer Kulkarni.(With ANI inputs)