Granted bail by Supreme Court, special NIA court issues release order for Colonel Purohit

Mumbai: In compliance with the Supreme Court order which granted him bail yesterday, the special NIA court on Tuesday issued release order for Lt Colonel Shrikant Purohit from Taloja Jail after completion of formalities.

Purohit has spent nine years in prison and is the main accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast which killed seven people.

Justice RK Agrawal and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre granted the bail to Purohit after telling him not to tamper with evidence.

He told the apex court that till date charges had not been framed against him while those under the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) had been dropped.

He also said that he had been in jail for nine years and was entitled to bail.

Purohit had challenged the April 25 Bombay High Court order which granted bail to another accused, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, but rejected his bail plea.

Seven persons were killed in the explosion in Malegaon in Nashik district in Maharashtra on September 29, 2008.

The investigating agencies had earlier attributed the blast to right-wing group Abhinav Bharat.

Purohit was suspended from service on January 20, 2009, after his arrest. He was posted at the Deolali Cantonment of the Indian Army in Maharashtra as a Liaison Unit Officer when he was arrested. 

(With IANS inputs)
 

(With IANS inputs)