3 min readNew DelhiSep 5, 2018 01:34 AM IST
First published on: Sep 5, 2018 at 01:34 AM IST
The Supreme Court granted bail to Purohit last year. The court has granted Purohit liberty to raise his contentions before the trial court. (File Photo)
Saying that it may have an impact on the ongoing trial, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit’s plea for a Special Investigation Probe into his alleged abduction and torture by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
However, the bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and K M Joseph agreed with senior advocate Harish Salve, who appeared for Purohit, that the matter raised by the petitioner had to be looked into. The court allowed Purohit to raise the issue before the trial court judge.
“How can we interfere at this stage? It will have an impact on the trial,” Justice Gogoi observed.
Salve said that “these are two separate issues”, but Justice Gogoi said that “we foresee it impacting the trial”. “But somebody has to look into it,” Salve said, to which Gogoi agreed and remarked “some forum has to look into it”.
The senior advocate then suggested that the NIA which is seized of the case be told to look into it. The court said that the trial court can consider this.
Purohit was a serving officer in the Army Intelligence Corps when he was arrested in November 2008 in connection with the Malegaon blasts in which seven people were killed. The Supreme Court granted him bail in August 2017.
In his petition before the apex court, Purohit contended that he was forced to approach the apex court against the “absolutely illegal and arbitrary actions of the officials of the Respondent No. 1 (Centre) and other agencies of the state (Maharashtra) during the relevant time regarding the abduction of the petitioner, a serving officer in the Intelligence Corps of the regular Indian Army and his brutal torture in custody”.
Purohit referred to a recent media interview of R V S Mani, former joint secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and a book written by him to argue that he had been framed by some factions in the previous government for political reasons, including the introduction of Saffron Terror. He also sought compensation for his alleged illegal detention and torture.
The Supreme Court granted bail to Purohit last year. The court has granted Purohit liberty to raise his contentions before the trial court. (File Photo)
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