Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, who was one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, opened a pandora’s box in a Mumbai Court on May 8, 2024. Purohit in his 23 pages statement claiming that senior officers of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had subjected him to torture and coercion, compelling him to take the blame for the explosion.
According to Purohit’s statement, under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) before the Special Court hearing cases under the National Investigation Agency Act (NIA Act), he was continuously tortured and pressured to name leaders of right-wing organisations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), along with the then Member of Parliament (MP) Yogi Adityanath. The Army officer further alleged that he was forcefully detained in a bungalow in Khandala after being taken from Pachmarhi, where he was posted, on October 29, 2008. During his alleged detention, he claimed to have been interrogated by senior ATS officers including late Hemant Karkare, then ATS Chief, Param Bir Singh, then Joint Commissioner of ATS, Gajanan Kabdule, Police Inspector of ATS, and another individual named Kamble from the State Investigation Department (SID).
Purohit’s revelations shed new light on the controversial case, which has already seen seven accused, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) former Member of Parliament Pragya Singh Thakur. The 2008 Malegaon blast resulted in six fatalities and left over 100 injured.
KEY POINTS OF COL PUROHIT’S COURT STATEMENT
- “In 2001, I was entrusted with the responsibility to raise a specialised Counter Terror Infantry Battalion – 41 Rashtriya Rifles. I raised the battalion in Belgaum and was in charge of training of this new battalion. Later, this battalion got inducted into the active field in Kupwara, North Kashmir. In a short period of two years, we earned a coveted Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award. Upon injury to my knee in the field while serving here in Kupwara, North Kashmir, I was transferred to Military Intelligence (The Int Corps). Since Oct 2002, I have been serving in Military Intelligence
- In 2004, I infiltrated the Lashkar-e-Taiba module, and after six months of dedicated efforts, I neutralised all seven foreign terrorists of this group in one single operation. It is worth mentioning here that this operation, even today, is a case study in the intelligence training establishments of the Indian Army
- My tasks in Kashmir were counter terrorism operations, counterintelligence, intelligence acquisition, fraternisation and psychological operations. After a prolonged and strenuous but very successful 5 year tenure in J&K, I joined Southern Command Liaison Unit at Deolali, having its Headquarters at Pune
- The Charter of Duties was as follows – (a) Neutralisation of hostile intelligence efforts – whether direct or through proxys (b) Counter Intelligence (c) Surveillance (d) Counter subversion and Counter Sabotage (e) Maintaining Liaison
- Upon my joining, owing to my track record in the Army and Military Intelligence in particular, I was tasked to map SIMI (Student’s Islamic Movement of India – rechristened as Indian Mujahideen) and the presence of ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence – the Pakistani Intelligence Agency), subversive anti national activities, and likely sabotage plans in Southern Command Area of Responsibility. I was expected to complete the task in a short period of 2 years. This also included left-wing activism to include naxal activities and the unification of all these anti national elements planning nefarious activities. I developed my own strong intelligence network taking help of elements, whether individuals or organisations, from society having nationalist attitude and intents for this task and subsequent intel gathering
- During the same period, I initiated reports regarding fugitive and proclaimed underworld criminal, anti national and known ISI agent Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his meeting with proclaimed fugitive, Central Committee senior leader of banned CPIML, Dr Ganapati. The meeting was to streamline the arms, ammunition, war like stores and drug supply from ISI, Pakistan to Left Wing Extremists and Naxalites in Dandakaranya Special Committee Zone operating in entire Peninsular India especially after these supplies stopped getting into India from Nepal. Second such report in 2006 – 2007 was regarding now proclaimed fugitive Dr Zakir Naik, the founder of Islamic Research Foundation and his subversive activities all along the Indian Western Coast, illegal fund raising and funding of terror organisations on behalf of ISI of Pakistan. Another report was regarding the fake currency racket operating in South India. I had also initiated a detailed report after critically analysing spread of Naxalism and Left-Wing Extremism spreading from Eastern to Western Maharashtra all along Maharashtra–Madhya Pradesh Border, Thane and Palghar area becoming the pivot and its further growth all along coast line towards South and North. All these and other such reports had the mention of few national and regional politicians having connections with these elements
- It is during this time and due to my expertise, that I was invited for training of ATS officers and their cadres in 2005–2006. The invitation for training was extended in writing by ATS Commissioner, Mr KPS Raghuvanshi. Later in 2006–2007, I was invited by Nashik Police Commissioner, Late Mr Himanshu Roy, to train Nashik Police
- I was detailed to undergo a course in Arabic language at Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh at AEC training College and Center while remaining posted with Southern Command Liaison Unit in year 2007”
THE SUSPICIOUS ARREST
- It is worth mentioning here that in the month of August 2008, out of nowhere, the President of the National Congress Party at a rally of party workers at Alibaug made a statement that it is not just that there are Islamic terrorists, but there are Hindu terrorists also. This is the first time the term ‘Hindu Terror’ was coined. This soothsaying statement was immediately followed by the unfortunate incident on September 29, 2008
- Much before, 26/11 Mumbai attack, the term Hindu terror was used by the Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi. From Panchmarhi to Mumbai, the dramatic arrest of Col Purohit and subsequent torture raise many questions about the due process. Col Purohit gives a detailed account of the sequence of events in his statement to the court
- In the last week of October 2008, Col RK Srivastava (Now retired), the then Director Military Intelligence–9 from Army Headquarters came to Pachmarhi to interact with all Military Intelligence Corps officers undergoing various language courses and particularly with me. On the very first interaction I was told that as per the claimed orders of Army Headquarter, I was ordered to surrender my phone to Col RK Srivastava
- On October 29, 2008, at around 9.00 am I was called by the adjutant, Lt Col (now Col) GC Mohanta of AEC Training College and Center, Pachmarhi. I was handed over with the movement order directing me to proceed on temporary duty to Delhi to interact with Director MI–20, Directorate of Military Intelligence, at Army Headquarters
- Me and my family members were under the impression that I was proceeding to Delhi. I was made to travel with Col Srivastava by taxi to Bhopal. Upon reaching Bhopal airport, Col Srivastava at the last moment informed me to board flight for Mumbai and not Delhi
- Upon reaching Mumbai, at the very gates of arrival at the airport, I was taken over by ATS personnel and IB officers were also present namely Sanjay Garg and I was bundled off forcefully in a white Sumo to an isolated bungalow in Khandala. The questioning started almost immediately. For first around 2 hours, the enquiries regarding personal details and background were done. Karkare and Param Bir Singh were time and again forcing me to give out the details of my intelligence network and list of my sources and assets who had assisted me in mapping SIMI and ISI and Dr Zakir Naik’s activities. I refused to divulge my source network as it is against the basic ethos of Intelligence. Upon my refusal to divulge the information, Col Srivastava was the first one to spring from his chair and attack me brutally, instantly joined by Param Bir Singh
- In the morning of October 30 onwards, the news channels started claiming that the Mumbai ATS has cracked the Malegaon Bomb Blast Case and Lt Col Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya and others had carried out the blast. They were also naming a few more Army Officers. Hereinafter, at regular intervals, ATS started leaking false information to media houses. All these things were happening when not even the investigation had commenced, nor was I arrested officially.
Col Purohit explained the brutalities and torture he had to undergo during this ‘illegal detention’. He claimed in the statement that senior officers namely Brig Raj Kumar of Military Intelligence have deposed in Court of Inquiry that Col Srivastava was not authorised to carry out any actions as mentioned here. Col Purohit also claims, “The medical certificate of fitness during my arrest is fake and fabricated. The officer who claimed to have handed over my custody to ATS was not authorised to do so. Handing over my custody to ATS itself is illegal.”
(The article was first published on April 21, 2025)
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