Malegaon blast case: Lt. Col. Purohit granted bail by SC

The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Army officer Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, on conditions that he won't leave the country without the permission of the court.

Lt. Colonel Purohit, who was in prison for the past nine years, moved the top court after the Bombay High Court rejected his bail plea earlier this year.

He has been granted bail with condition that he won't leave the country without prior permission from the court and that his passport must be deposited to the court.

Purohit has also been directed to appear in the court as and when he will be directed. In addition to it, he must make himself available for any investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The court has also ordered Purohit against threatening or enticing anyone acquainted with facts of the case.

Meanwhile, senior lawyer, Harish Salve, appearing for Lieutenant Colonel Purohit told the media that they "relied on the new chargesheet by the NIA and it contradicted what was said in their earlier chargesheets."

A bench of justices, R.K. Agrawal and A.M. Sapre, passed the order on the plea.

Earlier on August 17, the apex court reserved its order on the bail plea of Lieutenant Colonel Purohit.

Salve told the court that Purohit did not want to be discharged from the case at present, but for the interest of justice, wanted an interim bail.

He added that Lieutenant Colonel Purohit was allegedly caught in the political crossfire and was falsely implicated in the case.

A former military intelligence officer, Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, is one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts, along with Sadhvi Pragya and others.

Sadhvi Pragya had been granted relief in the case by the Bombay High Court. The NIA had filed its reply in the case, saying that there was ample evidence against Purohit, but not against her.

The 2008 Malegaon serial blasts claimed four lives and left nearly 79 injured.