The Indian Army has officially cleared Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit for promotion to the rank of Brigadier, according to sources speaking on Friday. This decision marks a significant shift in his military career following years of legal entanglement.

The development follows a recent intervention by the Armed Forces Tribunal, which stayed the officer's scheduled retirement. Lieutenant Colonel Purohit was originally due to retire from service on 31 March 2026.

While hearing his plea for promotion and associated service benefits, the tribunal issued a formal notice to the Ministry of Defence. It directed that his retirement be placed on hold until a final decision is reached regarding his statutory complaint.

Purohit’s petition to the tribunal highlighted how his career progression had been severely hindered by the protracted trial of the 2008 Malegaon blast case. He had been an accused in the matter for several years before eventually being acquitted.

The officer argued that the extensive delays inherent in the judicial process had unfairly denied him the opportunity to rise through the Army hierarchy. He contended that he had been deprived of a fair chance at promotion during the period of litigation.

On 31 July, the Mumbai NIA court acquitted Purohit and six other individuals involved in the Malegaon case. The court noted in its observation that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.

This verdict was delivered following many years of intensive investigation and complex trial proceedings. Although eleven people were originally accused in the case, the court eventually framed charges against only seven individuals.

Alongside Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, the other six people acquitted included former Member of Parliament Sadhvi Pragya and retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay. The list of those cleared also featured Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sameer Kulkarni, and Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi, also known as Shankaracharya.

ANI