Prasad Shrikant Purohit
Encyclopedia
Lt. Col. Shrikant Prasad Purohit is an Indian Army
officer who is accused of charges of terrorism
, as the alleged chief architect of the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings
. The attack took place on the Samjhauta Express
, a train that connects Lahore
, Pakistan with Delhi
, the capital of India
. 68 people died in the blast; most were Pakistani civilians but there were also some Indian security personnel and civilians. The attack was a turning point in India-Pakistan relations, and one of the many terrorist incidents that have affected relations between the two.
A lieutenant-colonel in military intelligence
, Purohit burst into international prominence in November 2008 when he was arrested by the Mumbai
Anti-terrorism squad because they suspected him of involvement in terrorist attacks across Western India
. He was later accused of also having a hand in 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings
until the Indian and U.S. governments announced that Pakistani infiltrators were more likely suspects, a view still supported by the U.S. government. Purohit was allegedly named as a member of Abhinav Bharat
, a shadowy right-wing outfit in the preliminary confessions of Swami Aseemanand, a Hindu nationalist figure. However, Aseemanand later stated that he made the confessions under duress.
had threatened to eliminate him during his interrogation in their custody.However the court and law enforcement agencies have been accused of being soft on him and its being said he just wants to escape jail after his heinous crimes by alleging that ATS is trying to kill him.In January 2010, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik
accused India of not pursuing the investigation of the Samjhauta Express bombings with enough vigour, and of refusing to divulge details about Purohit's role. Malik alleged that Purohit had hired Pakistani extremists to carry out the bombing.
The Pakistan government earlier wanted to but later dropped the demand for extradition of Purohit as it said it could not demand extradition as the crimes were not committed on its soil.
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
officer who is accused of charges of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, as the alleged chief architect of the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings
2007 Samjhauta Express bombings
The 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings were a terrorist attack that occurred around midnight on 18 February 2007 on the Samjhauta Express, a twice-weekly train service connecting Delhi, India, and Lahore, Pakistan. Bombs were set off in two carriages, both filled with passengers, just after the train...
. The attack took place on the Samjhauta Express
Samjhauta Express
The Samjhauta Express commonly called the Friendship Express, is a twice-weekly train Tuesdays and Fridays that runs between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan. The word samjhauta means "Understanding","accord" and "compromise" in both Hindi and Urdu.Until the reopening of the Thar...
, a train that connects Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan with Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, the capital of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. 68 people died in the blast; most were Pakistani civilians but there were also some Indian security personnel and civilians. The attack was a turning point in India-Pakistan relations, and one of the many terrorist incidents that have affected relations between the two.
A lieutenant-colonel in military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
, Purohit burst into international prominence in November 2008 when he was arrested by the Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
Anti-terrorism squad because they suspected him of involvement in terrorist attacks across Western India
29 September 2008 western India bombings
In the 29 September 2008 Western India bombings, three bombs exploded in the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra of India killing 8 persons and injuring 80...
. He was later accused of also having a hand in 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings
2007 Samjhauta Express bombings
The 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings were a terrorist attack that occurred around midnight on 18 February 2007 on the Samjhauta Express, a twice-weekly train service connecting Delhi, India, and Lahore, Pakistan. Bombs were set off in two carriages, both filled with passengers, just after the train...
until the Indian and U.S. governments announced that Pakistani infiltrators were more likely suspects, a view still supported by the U.S. government. Purohit was allegedly named as a member of Abhinav Bharat
Abhinav Bharat
Abhinav Bharat can refer to two organizations one of which is an Hindu nationalist organisation based mainly in Maharashtra in India. The Hindu nationalist organization gained prominence when its members were arrested for allegedly perpetrating the Malegoan bombing...
, a shadowy right-wing outfit in the preliminary confessions of Swami Aseemanand, a Hindu nationalist figure. However, Aseemanand later stated that he made the confessions under duress.
Personal LIfe
Purohit belongs to middle-class Maharashtrian Brahmin family. He was born in Pune and got his education from the Abhinav Vidyalaya and Garware College there. In 1994, Purohit was commissioned into the Maratha Light Infantry after passing out of the Officers' Training Academy at Chennai. He was serving in Jammu and Kashmir when he fell ill and was medically downgraded. At that time he was shifted to Military Intelligence. Between 2002 and early 2005, Purohit was part of counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir as part of MI-25 or the Intelligence Field Security Unit.Charges
Purohit is the first serving Indian army officer accused of playing a major role in planning and executing a terror blast. In November, 2008 he said to Pune's Shivajinagar court that the ATSATS
-Societies:*Adventist Theological Society*American Temperance Society, an early American civic organization promoting temperance*American Thoracic Society, a society for lung physicians, health related professionals and researchers-Systems:...
had threatened to eliminate him during his interrogation in their custody.However the court and law enforcement agencies have been accused of being soft on him and its being said he just wants to escape jail after his heinous crimes by alleging that ATS is trying to kill him.In January 2010, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik
Rehman Malik
27 April 2009 He has been the interior adviser since 27 March 2008.Senator A. Rehman Malik is a Pakistani politician, member of the Senate of Pakistan, and the current Interior Minister of Pakistan under the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani administration. His Second name is Shetan Malik and he...
accused India of not pursuing the investigation of the Samjhauta Express bombings with enough vigour, and of refusing to divulge details about Purohit's role. Malik alleged that Purohit had hired Pakistani extremists to carry out the bombing.
The Pakistan government earlier wanted to but later dropped the demand for extradition of Purohit as it said it could not demand extradition as the crimes were not committed on its soil.