2008 Malegaon blasts: Court of Inquiry papers will prove my husband's innocence, Lt Col Purohit's wife

Aparna Purohit, the wife of Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit, who is lodged in Mumbai's Taloja central jail facing trial for his role in the 2008 Malegaon blasts, has claimed that all the three Commanding Officers (COs), he worked under between 2005-08 have testified in his favour during the Court of Inquiry (CoI) proceedings.

Speaking exclusively to dna, she said, "Once the court goes through the entire CoI papers, it will prove that my husband was involved only up to the extent of gathering intelligence for the Army and his seniors were in constant loop. During the CoI, his superiors have admitted to this."

On Friday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that filed a fresh charge sheet in the case in a Mumbai court while dropped charges against activist Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and five others accused in the case citing lack of evidence, it sought prosecution of Purohit and nine others. Purohit has been charged for criminal conspiracy and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substance Act but absolved of any charge under the stricter anti-terror law, the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act or MCOCA.

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur (PTI)

Pragya and Purohit have been called the face of saffron terror by the Congress.

"CoI will prove key to his exoneration," Aparna who recently got a copy of it after "approaching the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) and courts for more than five years" said.

"But a large part of the inquiry details have been blackened citing Official Secrets Act. It is these portions that hold the key for us," she said.

Army has told the court that it will provide it a fresh set of the document without blackening sensitive portions in a sealed envelope as and when the court would need it.

Aparna Purohit,  wife of Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit,

We know which part is blackened. Once the court gets the entire CoI document, we will plead to the judge to read those parts. It will prove that whatever he did was to gather intelligence keeping the army seniors in the loop. He did not do this in his individual capacity, something that we have been maintaining all along,"

On April 22, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that Purohit will be made available the documents he sought to prove his innocence in the blasts at the communally sensitive Maharashtra town that killed seven and injured 80 people.

Purohit wrote to Parrikar on April 4, asking for his the documents to support his claims in court. In his letter, he claimed that "the meetings termed as conspiracy meetings were duly reported by me before, during and after their conduct."

In November 2008, Purohit, who formerly worked in military intelligence unit was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for his alleged role in the Malegaon blasts conspired purportedly by Hindu radicals in September the same year. Purohit allegedly came in contact with Upadhyay when posted at Deolali near Nashik in Maharashtra as a liaison unit officer.

What the NIA chargesheet says

The NIA chargesheet says Lt Colonel Shrikant Purohit floated the Hindu organization Abhinav Bharat in 2006, against the Service Rules of the Indian armed forces. As a key member of the criminal conspiracy, he collected huge funds and directed to disburse it to procure weapons and explosives for unlawful activities. On January 25-26, 2008, the chargesheet says, in a secret meeting at Faridabad, Purohit proposed a separate constitution for Hindu Rashtra with separate flag (Bhagwa flag).

He read over the constitution of Abhinav Bharat which he had prepared , discussed about the Central Hindu Government (Aryawart) against the Hindu government and put forth the idea of this government in exile in Israel and Thailand. “This accused also discussed about taking revenge of the atrocities committed by the Muslims on Hindus,” says the chargesheet.