Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, on Thursday told the Supreme Court that he has been caught in “political crossfire” and languishing in jail for nine years without even charges being framed against him.
Malegaon blasts accused Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit claimed he was an Army informer who infiltrated Abhinav Bharat, an organisation whose members were accused of conspiracy in the 2008 blast case, and got caught in the "political crossfire". Arguing his application for bail, Purohit said he has been in jail for almost nine years without charges framed against him. "He still is serving in the Indian Army. Since 2001, he has got numerous recommendations for infiltration. From an unsung hero, he has been now called an incarcerated hero," senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Purohit, said.
'Cites Pragya case for bail'
"Allegation against me is that I supplied RDX explosive material on the conspiracy hatched by Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. Now, if she is enlarged on bail and given a clean chit by NIA, then the link between me and her is snapped. I am at least entitled for interim bail after undergoing nine years of jail in the case," Mr. Salve submitted. He said the Maharshtra ATS mentioned in its charge sheet that he had attended meetings of Abhinav Bharat. "Yes, I attended certain meetings, but as a military mole. I have been doing my duty. The court says that it will look into ATS charge sheet at the stage of trial and refuses interim bail even as charges are not framed against me. What kind of criminal justice system is this?" Mr. Salve asked. He said that charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) were dropped against Purohit by the apex court in 2015. "After nine years a man is entitled to see the sun outside jail," Mr. Salve said. He argued that Purohit has been falsely implicated by the ATS and no report has been filed after eight years of Army's Court of Inquiry. A Bench of Justices R.K. Agrawal and A.M. Sapre reserved the bail plea for final orders. Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for NIA, said although it has been found that Purohit had rightly informed his seniors about the activities of Abhinav Bharat, there were some materials against him which could justify framing of charges against him. The Bombay High Court had in April 25 granted bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, accused of plotting the September 2008 Malegaon blast, but rejected the bail plea of Mr. Purohit, saying his charges were grave.
The High Court had refused to accept Mr. Purohit's contention that he had attended the meetings as part of a "covert military intelligence operation." Mr. Purohit had argued that the National Investigative Agency (NIA), who probed the case, was "selective" in exonerating some accused persons and that the agency made him a "scapegoat" in the case. Six persons were killed and nearly 100 others injured when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle had exploded in Malegaon town of Nashik district on September 29, 2008. Sadhvi Pragya and 44-year-old Purohit were arrested along with some others in the case.
