[Malegoan Blast Case] Bombay High Court Rejects Discharge Plea of Lt. Prasad Purohit

A Division Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice AS Gadkari and Justice PD Naik has rejected the discharge petition filed by Lt. Prasad Purohit in the Malegoan Blast Case. 

The Division Bench observed that Purohit was not discharging official duties when he attended the meetings with the Abhinav Group. It is alleged that in the meetings with the Abhinav Group conspiracies were hatched to conduct blasts. 

Lt. Prasad Purohit had earlier approached the lower court for discharge. However, the lower court rejected his discharge application, and then he approached the High Court. 

It was contended by Purohit that he was on duty while attending the meetings with the Abhinav group and had taken permission from his senior. He submitted that since he was on duty, the prosecution had to take sanction from the authorities and that improper sanction was taken. 

The counsel for NIA argued that the contentions can be raised before the trial court.

During the earlier hearing, the High Court directed Purohit to keep only one petition pending before the High Court since they were three petitions filed by him that were overlapping issues with respect to sanction from the authorities.

Purohit was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in 2008 along with BJP MP Pragya Thakur and 4 others and was charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2007. 

The NIA's case was that the accused were conspiring with an objective to make India into a Hindu Rashtra. The NIA had submitted that Purohit was responsible for procuring RDX from Kashmir for the blast.

Case Title: Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit vs National Investigation Agency