Malegaon Case: Col Purohit Returns Home To Pune, Marathi Authors & Celebs Take Part
Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case after a 17-year legal battle, returned to his home in Pune, Maharashtra, on August 1, 2025, following the landmark verdict by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai. The court acquitted all seven accused, including Purohit and former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, citing a lack of reliable evidence to prove their involvement in the September 29, 2008, bomb blast that killed six people and injured over 95 in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Nashik district. The blast, caused by an improvised explosive device strapped to an LML Freedom motorcycle, was initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and later transferred to the NIA in 2011. The prosecution alleged that Purohit, a serving army officer at the time, sourced RDX from Kashmir and facilitated the attack through the right-wing group Abhinav Bharat. However, Special Judge A.K. Lahoti ruled that the prosecution failed to substantiate claims of Purohit’s involvement or Thakur’s ownership of the motorcycle, noting investigative lapses such as contaminated evidence and lack of forensic data.Purohit’s return to Pune was marked by celebrations, with supporters bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets outside his residence. Prominent Marathi authors, celebrities, and local figures joined the homecoming, expressing solidarity and hailing the verdict as a triumph of justice. Purohit, who spent nearly nine years in jail before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2017, expressed gratitude to the judiciary, the Indian Army, and his supporters, emphasizing his unwavering commitment to serving the nation. He described himself as a victim of “mentally ill people” who misused power, without naming specific individuals or agencies. The acquittal has sparked political debate, with BJP leaders like Sambit Patra criticizing the Congress for allegedly fabricating the “saffron terror” narrative, while victims’ representatives, including advocate Shahid Nadeem, plan to challenge the verdict in the High Court.
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