The Indian Army has cleared Colonel Shrikant Purohit, who was acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case last July, of promotion to the rank of brigadier general, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The officer had recently filed a complaint with the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) arguing that the long trial had affected his career progression in the service. He was scheduled to retire on March 31 of this year, but the court postponed his retirement.
As brigadier general, he will now serve for another two years, officials said.
Purohit, who was involved in anti-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir and was also working with military intelligence, spent nearly nine years in judicial custody. He was released on bail in 2017 but remained under suspension until 2020.
He was arrested for his alleged involvement in the September 29, 2008 blast in the Muslim-majority town of Malegaon in Maharashtra that killed six people. Maharashtra Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) initially investigated the blast. Later, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case in 2011.
The Mumbai NIA court had on July 31 acquitted Purohit and six others in the Malegaon blast case, stating that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The ruling came after years of investigation and trial procedures.
The army suspended the officer shortly after his arrest. He was receiving 25% of his salary and bonuses during the suspension, but it was later adjusted to 75% after an earlier court order.
