SC quashes Purohit plea for SIT probe into arrest

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a petition filed by Lt. Col. Shrikant Purohit, an accused in the Malegaon blast case who is out on bail, seeking a direction for a SIT probe into his “illegal detention” and “custodial torture.” Six people were killed and nearly 100 injured when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle went off at Malegaon on September 29, 2008.

A three-judge bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and K.M. Joseph dismissed the plea after hearing the petitioner’s counsel Harish Salve. The bench, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the petition, however, made it clear that Purohit had the liberty to approach the trial court and raise all contentions.

When Mr Salve said the National Investigation Agency was responsible for arresting the petitioner and must look into the issues raised by Purohit, the bench said that entertaining such a petition “at this juncture might influence the trial.”

In the petition, Purohit claimed that there was an alleged conspiracy to frame him in the 2008 blast case, and in his plea has relied on army reports. Purohit had also claimed that he was only providing certain information to the army and security forces and not to other outfits like the Islamic State and his claims could be verified by the SIT probe.

After spending nine years in jail, Purohit was granted conditional bail by the SC in August last year. He claimed that he was beaten, abused and tortured while he was in the custody of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad.