After AFT Order, Indian Army Promotes Colonel Purohit As Brigadier
After an AFT intervention, the Army grants promotion to Colonel Purohit, bringing a long-running legal and service matter to a decisive turn.Image courtesy: X.com/@Goreunit
Nearly three weeks after an Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) order, the Indian Army has promoted Colonel Shrikant Purohit, who was acquitted in the Malegaon blast case by a Mumbai court last year, as Brigadier.
The Indian Army granted Colonel Purohit’s promotion recently, according to officers aware of the matter, but it became public only now.
In the order on March 16, 2026, the AFT bench in New Delhi had put Colonel Purohit’s previously scheduled retirement on March 31.
Colonel Purohit had missed his promotion earlier as he was in prison in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The Indian Army had scheduled his retirement from service, without the due promotion, on March 31.
In the order, the AFT Bench of Justice Rajendra Menon and Chairperson Rasika Chaube directed the Army to keep Colonel Purohit’s retirement in abeyance until his pending statutory complaint seeking his due promotion was not disposed of.
“We direct that till a decision on the statutory complaint, the applicant’s retirement shall be kept in abeyance,” The AFT Bench’s order said.
Colonel Purohit had argued before the AFT bench that he was entitled to promotion to the rank of Brigadier on par with his juniors, who picked up the rank. He said that if promoted, he would be eligible to serve the Indian Army till March 21, 2028.
He told the AFT that the Indian Army had failed to consider him for promotion while he was facing the Malegaon blast case trial and was in prison on false charges.
He noted that he was acquitted and his innocence upheld in the Malegaon blast case by the Mumbai court, and hence the denial of promotion to the rank of Brigadier was unjustified and unfair.
Colonel Purohit, who was arrested in the Malegaon blast case in 2008, was later granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2017. After bail, Colonel Purohit was permitted by the Indian Army to resume his duties.
While on bail and serving the Indian Army, the special National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai continued to hear the Malegaon blast case and acquitted him on July 31, 2025.
Colonel Purohit also argued before the AFT that he had an unblemished 20-year army service and enjoyed excellent Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs).
Despite being acquitted in the Malegaon blast case, his retirement would end his career without a due promotion to the next higher rank.
He also stated that a statutory complaint on seeking a remedy against the denial of promotion was pending before the Indian Army authorities.
He prayed that his retirement be stayed till the statutory complaint was heard and disposed of by the Indian Army. Colonel Purohit’s petition before the AFT would now come up for hearing next on May 22.
