Lt. Col Purohit was not given adequate protection by Army: Parrikar

Panaji (Goa) [India], Aug 25 (ANI): Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday appealed to everyone not to politicize matter revolving around Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit's bail and said he was not given adequate protection by the Army.

Talking to ANI, Parrikar said, "This is not a matter of politics, I am not pointing finger at anyone. I believe that Lieutenant Colonel Purohit was not given the adequate protection by Army at that time," he told ANI.

2008 Malegaon Blast case accused Lt. Colonel Purohit was released from the Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai on August 23 after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the case, on the condition that he won't leave the country without the permission of the court.

After Purohit was granted bail, Congress accused Modi government of 'protecting all RSS-connected accused'.

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 was granted bail with few conditions -- he won't leave the country without prior permission from the court and that his passport must be deposited to the court.

Purohit was also 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).

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.

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

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI