Lt Col Purohit walks out of jail after 9 years: Here’s how Malegaon 2008 blast case has progressed
Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit was in jail for almost nine years for his alleged role in the 2008 blast case.
Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit was released from the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
He was driven out of the prison in a car at around 10.45am. Purohit was in jail for almost nine years for his alleged role in the 2008 blast case.
Here is how the case has progressed:
September 29, 2008: A bomb planted on a motorcycle goes off at Malegaon, killing six people and injuring 101.
October 24, 2008: Police arrest three people in connection with the blast — Pragya Singh Thakur, Shiv Narayan Gopal Singh Kalsanghra and Shyam Bhawarlal Sahu.
November 4, 2008: The Anti-Terrorims Squad arrests Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, a serving army officer.
January 30, 2009: The ATS files a final chargesheet against 11 accused in the case.
July 31, 2009: A special court holds that MCOCA charges are not applicable and the case be tried by a regular Nasik court.
July 07, 2010: The Bombay high court reverses the order and upholds the charges under provisions of MCOCA.
August 2010: Purohit and Pragya Singh Thakur challenge the order of the Bombay high court for upholding the MCOCA charges
March 1, 2011: While the case was pending before the Supreme Court, the ATS files a supplementary charge sheet
April 1, 2011: Investigation is transferred to the National Investigation Agency by the government
April 13, 2011: The NIA registers a fresh and begins investigation
February 2012: The NIA makes its first arrest and obtains custody of Lokesh Sharma
June 05, 2012: Sharma is granted bail as the agency fails to file the charge sheet in time
December 17, 2012: The NIA arrests Dhan Singh
May 22, 2013: Singh is granted bail as the agency could not file the charge sheet in time
April 15, 2015: The apex court remands the case back to the lower court to freshly consider the applicability of MCOCA in view of further investigation
June 2015: Purohit moves a fresh bail plea along with the other accused
October 12, 2015: The court rejects the bail application of the four accused, but holds that MCOCA is applicable
February 2016: The prosecution is asked to argue on the charges applicable against the accused in the case.
February 15, 2016: The agency informs the court that it has sought the opinion of the attorney general about the applicability of MCOCA in the case
March 2016: The prosecution opens the case and begins arguments on the applicability of the charge sheet against the accused.
April 25, 2017: The high court grants bail to Sadhvi Pragya Thakur but rejects the bail of Lt Col Prasad Purohit.
August 23, 2017: Purohit is released from the Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the case
With inputs from agencies