Army approves promotion of Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit, acquitted in Malegaon blast case: Report

New Delhi: Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, who was acquitted in the Malegaon blast case last year, has been promoted to Brigadier General, sources said on Friday. In July 2025, an NIA court acquitted Purohit and six others in the case, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur.Purohit filed a case at the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) after his acquittal, claiming that the lengthy trial had “adversely affected” his career development. He argued that delays in the judicial process denied him a fair chance at promotion within the Army hierarchy.Also read: Who is Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit? Officer who faced terror charges and walked free after being acquitted in courtLast month, the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) Continue to retirethe deadline is March 31, while hearing his plea seeking promotion and related service benefits. The court directed the Ministry of Defense to put his retirement on hold until his statutory complaint is decided.Purohit was serving as a lieutenant colonel in the military intelligence branch when he was arrested in November 2008, the first time in the country that a serving army officer had been implicated in a terrorism-related case.He was imprisoned for nearly nine years before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in September 2017.

malegaon explosion

The explosion occurred on September 29, 2008. An explosive device tied to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in the Bhikku Chowk area of ​​Malegaon, Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring 95 others.Eleven people were initially charged in the case; however, the court ultimately charged seven people.The case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011 from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Investigators questioned hundreds of witnesses for nearly 17 years before all the accused were acquitted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and other sections.Along with Purohit and Thakur, Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Shankaracharya and Sameer Kulkarni were acquitted.(with ANI input)