In a significant judgment, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai acquitted Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit and six others in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, citing insufficient evidence and irregularities in the investigation.
Addressing the media after the verdict, Lieutenant Colonel Purohit said, “I am a soldier who loves this country immensely. The country must always remain supreme and its foundations strong.” His words reflected both relief and patriotism after being entangled in one of India’s most controversial terror cases for over 15 years.
Lieutenant Colonel Purohit was accused in the September 2008 blast in Malegaon, Maharashtra, which killed six people and injured over a hundred. He was arrested later that year and spent almost nine years in prison before being granted bail in 2017. His acquittal marks a dramatic turn in a case that had drawn nationwide attention due to its political and military implications.
Purohit did not mince words while speaking about the ordeal he faced. “I have been victimised by mentally disturbed and sick individuals,” he said, alleging that some people in positions of power had misused their authority. “We had to endure it,” he added.
The special court noted several inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. It stated that there was no conclusive evidence linking Purohit directly to the conspiracy or execution of the blast. The court also highlighted technical errors such as an improper spot panchnama and failure to establish whether the motorcycle used in the explosion was conclusively connected to the accused.
Importantly, the court observed that mere suspicion, however strong, cannot substitute for legal proof in a criminal case. “It could not be established that the motorcycle alone was used in the blast, nor was there any evidence to show that Prasad Purohit kept RDX at his residence,” the judgment stated.
In a statement made in court, Purohit thanked the judiciary for the opportunity to serve his nation again. “I thank you for giving me a chance to serve my nation and my organisation with the same conviction I had before I was framed. I don’t blame any organisation; it is the individuals inside these organisations who have done wrong.”
The verdict brings to a close a controversial chapter in India’s counterterrorism history, but it also raises critical questions about the politicisation of investigations and the need for institutional accountability. While the legal battle may be over for now, the larger debate surrounding the case is far from settled.
