The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) in New Delhi has put on hold the scheduled retirement of Colonel Shrikant Purohit, an intelligence officer who was last year acquitted of the Malegaon blast case by a Mumbai court.
After being in prison in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case, Colonel Purohit had missed his promotions. He was slated to retire from the Indian Army service on March 31.
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 promotions during the time he was in jail after being wrongly charged in the Malegaon blast case.
“We direct that till a decision on the statutory complaint, the applicant’s retirement shall be kept in abeyance,” The AFT Bench’s order, issued on Monday (March 16, 2026), said.
Before the AFT Bench, Colonel Purohit had argued that he was entitled to promotion to the rank of Brigadier on par with his juniors, who picked up the ranks, while he was facing the Malegaon blast case trial.
He said that if he were promoted as Brigadier, he would be eligible to serve the Indian Army till March 21, 2028.
Colonel Purohit was arrested in the Malegaon blast case in 2008 and was later granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2017. After bail, Colonel Purohit was permitted by the Army to resume his duties.
The trial before a special National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai continued, and he was finally acquitted on July 31, 2025.
Before the AFT, Colonel Purohit contended that he had an unblemished army service for over 20 years, and following his acquittal in the Malegaon blast case, his career would end without him being considered for a promotion that was due to him
He prayed for a stay on his retirement until his statutory complaint seeking his promotion was decided on par with his juniors, even after excellent Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) throughout his army service.
The AFT, after ordering the army to put his retirement on hold, posted the matter for the next hearing on May 22, 2026.