Malegaon Case: SC Rejects Lt Col Purohit’s Plea for SIT Probe

The bench said entertaining the petition at this stage might impact the ongoing trial in the case.

Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Kiran Kumar S)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 4 September, refused to entertain Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit's plea seeking a court-monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into his alleged abduction, illegal detention and brutal torture in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi Naveen Sinha and K M Joseph said entertaining the petition at this stage might impact the ongoing trial in the case.

The bench, however, granted Purohit the liberty to raise his contentions before the trial court and said it is not expressing any opinion on his petition.

"Why should we interfere at this stage? It may impact the trial," the bench said.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Purohit, told the bench that the issue raised by Purohit in his plea has to be looked into.

Since the NIA is seized of the matter, the agency can look into it, Salve said.

The bench, however, asked him to raise the issue before the trial court.

Purohit is currently out on bail. It was granted by the apex court last year.