Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit was falsely projected as the “face of Hindu terror.” Arrested in 2008 after the Malegaon blast, vilified in public discourse, and confined to prison for nearly nine years, his career and reputation was tarnished by those whom he had challenged and had tried to expose their sinister plans. Today, Purohit has been promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Indian Army, a development that that has taken few weeks after his acquittal in the Malegaon case.
The turn of events represents not just personal vindication for Col Purohit but also exposes how the “Hindu terror” narrative that dominated India’s political and media discourse for over a decade was used to defame the Hindus.
On June 31, 2025, NIA Court Special Judge Abhay Lahoti delivered a judgment in which all seven accused, including Col Purohit, BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi alias Dayanand Pandey, Maj Ramesh Upadhyaya (Retd), Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, and Sudhakar Chaturvedi, were acquitted for lack of evidence.
The verdict minced no words:
- “Mere suspicion cannot take the place of real proof.”
- The prosecution could not prove allegations that Purohit procured RDX or assembled explosives.
- Investigations by the Maharashtra ATS and later the NIA were riddled with lapses, contradictions, and politically driven claims.
The Malegaon case had been projected as the first instance of “saffron terror.” Yet, after 15 years, the court found no substantive evidence, turning what was once a political trophy case into an emblem of investigative failure.
Born in Pune to a Maharashtrian-Brahmin family, Prasad Purohit joined the Army through the Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai, in 1994. Commissioned into the Maratha Light Infantry, he distinguished himself in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir (2002–2005) before transferring to Military Intelligence.
At the time of his arrest, he was studying Arabic at the Army Education Centre, Pachmarhi. In November 2008, barely a month after the Malegaon blast, the Maharashtra ATS arrested him, accusing him of masterminding the attack as part of a “Hindu extremist conspiracy.”
Purohit was stripped of his uniform, suspended from service, and thrown into jail. He spent 2,791 days (almost nine years) in custody before the Supreme Court granted him bail on August 21, 2017.
Throughout his incarceration, he maintained he had infiltrated groups like Abhinav Bharat as part of his military intelligence duties. “I am a soldier who loves this country unconditionally… I am a victim of mentally ill people who misused power,” he told the court.
This month, weeks after his acquittal, the Army quietly restored his honour by promoting him to the rank of Colonel. His wife, Aparna Purohit, confirmed the development, calling it the culmination of years of faith and endurance.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh shared a photograph of the piping ceremony on X, congratulating him: “Congratulations Col Purohit on being back in uniform. The government stands firmly with patriots who serve the nation with courage and integrity.”
Col Purohit, who is slated to retire in June 2026 at the age of 54, now exits with his head held high.
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