Lieutenant Col Purohit has approached the Supreme Court for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into his abduction and torture by Anti-Terrorism Squad in 2008. Purohit is an accused in the Malegaon Blast case who was granted conditional bail last by a top court after spending 9 years of jail.
Purohit stated that he decided to move the court following former Joint Secretary RVS Mani’s interview to various media outlets and the release of his book titled ‘The Hindu Terror—Insider Account of Ministry of Home Affairs 2006-2010’ which revealed information that he was being framed for political reasons to conjure the narrative of ‘Hindu Terror’. The petition states, “The content of the interview clearly suggests the implication of the Petitioner in a false criminal case and branding him as a ‘Terrorist’ only for the reason that ‘he was breaking the back of the radicals such as SIMI, ISI terror network etc.’.”
The petition claims that troubles began for Purohit with the issuing of a ‘Movement Order’ dated 28th October 2008 which required him to travel from his then place of posting i.e. Panchmarhi, Madhya Pradesh to Integrated HQ of MoD (Army). He claims in the petition that he was then forcibly taken to Mumbai by the Officer who was accompanying him and was whisked away to an undisclosed location at Khandala where he was tortured for 8 days.
The petition further states, “There has been a complete subversion of the criminal justice system, by the state itself and there is credible reason to fear that a citizen of this country, no less than an Int Officer of the Indian Army, can be abducted, brutally tortured, labelled as a terrorist and put away for as long as 9 years, without a trial.” It goes on to add, “It has become just, proper, fair and necessary in the interest of justice that there should be a judicial inquiry as to the official/s concerned of the Respondents (the Union of India and RVS Mani) who have subverted the process of justice and who were conspirators in the abduction, torture and illegal handing over of the Petitioner to secure personal political gains and make them accountable for their illegal acts.”
Purohit says that his life and that of his family is under threat. He also claims that he has been used as a “pawn” in the “larger scheme of things.” He has also requested compensation for the illegal detention and torture he suffered at the hands of the Maharashtra ATS officials of the time.