Malegaon blast case: Army to study order before deciding on Purohit future

NEW DELHI: The Army will examine the trial court judgment in the Malegaon blast case that acquitted Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit - commissioned into the Maratha Light Infantry in 1994 and later part of military intelligence - before deciding on its course of action.

"Army will need to examine the judgment before any decision in the case of Lt Col Purohit, who is currently attached to Army's Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa (MG&G) Area," an Army officer said on Thursday.

Purohit, the first serving military officer accused in a terror case, is slated to retire next year at 54, the retirement age for Lt Colonels & Colonels. While a superseded Lt Col can become a time-scale Colonel after 26 years of service, Purohit was under a DV (discipline and vigilance) ban following his arrest in the blasts case. Under the initial DV ban, he wasn't eligible for promotion or service courses. After securing bail in 2017, the DV ban was lifted and he was reinstated.

"He can technically be promoted to Colonel rank but lacks requisite ACRs for several years," another officer said.