Pune: Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, recently acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, received a hero’s welcome from family, friends and supporters as he returned home to Pune after a prolonged legal battle lasting 17 years.
Purohit, along with former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and five others, was acquitted on Thursday by a special court in Mumbai in connection with the blast that killed six people and injured 101 in Malegaon, Nashik district, on 29 September 2008.
His arrival at Shantisheela Housing Society on Law College Road was marked by a grand celebration. Riding in an open jeep with his wife Aparna, Purohit was greeted with traditional drumbeats, flower showers and chants of “Jai Shree Ram” and “Sanatan dharm ki jai”. Supporters, including members of various right-wing groups, waved saffron flags and raised slogans hailing the court’s verdict.
Addressing the crowd, an emotional Purohit said, “I never imagined that I would get such a grand welcome from all of you. I am speechless and unable to gather my thoughts or express my feelings. One can only imagine the pain one endures when false allegations are levelled. But I never had any difficulty in facing them.”
He spoke about the mental and emotional toll the case had taken, saying he never revealed to his wife and mother the torture and humiliation he endured, though they always understood.
“As a soldier, what I can say with conviction is that not even an enemy can question my patriotism and loyalty towards the nation. During my submission (in court), I insisted that I be called anything but not aatankwadi (terrorist) or deshdrohi (traitor),” he said.
Recalling the early days of his incarceration, Purohit said his health declined due to the mental strain. A fitness enthusiast, he had stopped exercising after his arrest. “During an early court hearing, my wife asked if I was still working out. When I said no, she got special court permission, arranged for equipment, and encouraged me to start again.”
Upon arriving home, Purohit first offered prayers at a Hanuman temple in the complex.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, present at the event, called the court’s verdict a “tight slap” to those who propagated the term bhagwa aatankwad (saffron terror). “Just like The Kerala Story and The Kashmir Files, a film titled Malegaon Stories should be made to expose such fake narratives,” she added.