Mumbai: Sixteen years since the Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Lt Col Prasad Purohit for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, Purohit has reiterated allegations of kidnapping and torture by senior police officials Hemant Karkare and Parambir Singh in his recently submitted written statement before the special court which is conducting the trial in the case.
Purohit was formally arrested on November 4, 2008, however, he said he was detained six days prior to his arrest and was subjected to severe physical torture by Singh and other subordinate officers of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
Purohit has in his written statement has said that it all started from the last week of October 2008, when he was asked to hand over his mobile phone by Col R.K.Shrivastav (now retired), the then Director, Military Intelligence.
Few days later, October 29, 2008 Purohit was asked to move to Delhi to Director MI – 20, directorate of Military Intelligence, at Army Head Quarters. However, Purohit claimed that rather being taken to Delhi directly, he was asked to proceed to Bhopal by a taxi with Col Shrivastav. He claimed that he was taken to Bhopal airport and was asked to board a flight to Mumbai instead to Delhi. Purohit said when he questioned, he was threated with dire consequences.
Following instructions Purohit boarded a flight for Mumbai. He claimed that as soon as he landed at Mumbai, ATS officers and IB officer namely Sanjay Garg, took his custody and he was pushed in a Sumo car and taken to Khandala. He claimed that at Khandala he was taken to an isolated bungalow, where, Karkare, Singh and one Gajanan Kabdule, police inspector from ATS were present.
Narrating the days, he was subjected to the physical abuse, Purohit said, as soon as he was taken to the bungalow, the officers began questioning him first with his personal details and background. Purohit claimed that Karkare and Singh kept on pushing him to reveal the details of his intelligence network and list of sources and assets who had assisted him in mapping SIMI and ISI and Dr Zakir Naik’s activities.
Purohit alleged that since he refused to divulge any details, Col Shrivastav attacked him brutally, followed by Singh. He further said Singh ordered six ATS officers to tie him to a chair and he was treated in a way worse than an animal and a prisoner of war of enemy country. He claimed that Singh, Karkare and Shrivastav continued to insist that he should confess his involvement in the blast and name RSS and VHP, Yogi Adityanath, failing which the torture would continue till November 3, 2008.
Suddenly, on November 3, 2008, Shrivastav and Singh came to the room where Purohit was kept and told him that since they found nothing against him, he should leave the bungalow. Purohit claimed that he was asked to leave on his own but he requested for a transport as his knees were broken. But his request was rejected.
Later, Purohit has said that after lot of deliberation when he was planning to leave inspector Kabdule of ATS, came and revealed that if he left the bungalow, they would kill him in an encounter. Hence Purohit decided to stay and wait for his fate. Finally, next day he was taken to Colaba Military Station in the ATS vehicle and then to Juhu police station. On November 5, from Juhu, he was directly taken to Nashik where he was produced before the special MCOCA court.
