2008 Malegaon blast: Lt. Colonel Purohit granted bail; A timeline of the case so far

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit (retired), the main accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast, which killed seven people. A bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre granted conditional bail to Purohit asking him not to tamper with evidence.

"We set aside order of Bombay High court" while granting conditional bail to Malegaon blast accused Lt Colonel Purohit," the Supreme Court said.

Take a look at the timeline of the case so far

September 29, 2008

At least seven people are killed and over 70 injured in bomb blasts in a busy market area in Malegaon,  a town in the Nashik district of Maharashtra.

October 24, 2008

Police arrest 3 persons in connection with the blast- Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Shiv Narayan Gopal Singh Kalsanghra and Shyam Bhawarlal Sahu

November 5, 2008

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrest Lt Col Prasad Purohit for allegedly supplying money and explosives

January 20, 2009

14 chargesheeted by Maharashtra ATS on January 20, 2009 

July 31, 2009

A special MCOCA court drops charges against all the 11 accused in the case, including Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit saying none are part of an organised crime syndicate

July 19, 2010

The Maharashtra ATS receives a major boost after the Bombay high court reinstates MCOCA against the 11 accused

April 1, 2011

Investigation is transferred to NIA by the government

April 13, 2011

The NIA takes over the case on the direction of Home Ministry

September 23, 2011

The Supreme Court (SC) rejects the bail plea of Sadhvi Pragnya Thakur

April 15, 2015

The SC sets aside the Bombay HC order, and drops the MCOCA charges, stating there is hardly any evidence against the accused in the previous cases

June 24, 2015

The Indian Express quotes the Special Public Prosecutor in the case, Rohini Salian, as saying the NIA had instructed her to “go soft” on the accused

November 7, 2015

The special court for MCOCA rejects the bail application of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, considering the evidence against her and the satisfactory treatment she was being provided in custody for breast cancer

February 2, 2016

The NIA tells a special court that it is of the opinion that stringent MCOCA was not applicable in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case

May 13, 2016

The NIA files a second chargesheet, drops charges against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and three others for lack of evidence against them. Lt. Col Purohit and others accused will continue to be charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

September 26, 2016

The special NIA court rejects the bail of Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit on the grounds that the evidence cited by the accused, will have to be proved under the Indian Evidence Act, and will be considered only at the time of the trial

November 24, 2016

ATS files an affidavit pleading the court to allow the prosecution to lead with the secondary evidence, in the wake of some documents going missing

April 17, 2017

NIA submits in the Supreme Court that it will not oppose bail for accused Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit as the chargesheet has already been filed.

April 25, 2017

Bombay High Court grants bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on the condition that she will not try to influence the prosecution witnesses. Court denies bail to Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit.

August 17, 2017

The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on a plea of Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit seeking interim bail.

August 21, 2017

The apex court granted bail to chief Malegaon accused Lt. Col. Purohit