New Delhi, August 27: In a fresh twist in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, accused Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit on Monday moved Supreme Court seeking an SIT probe into allegations of torture allegedly meted out to him in custody. Purohit had in a 24-page letter to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) alleged that he was tortured in the custody of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

In the letter written to NHRC, Purohit had said that he was beaten and threatened to confess to a "crime he never committed". He accused the ATS and Army officers of torturing him in the letter and said that he was held in illegal detention.

Purohit had also named six officers for the torture in the letter. His claim was also investigated by the human rights panel.

On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and 101 were injured after a bomb exploded in Nashik’s Malegaon town. In November 2008, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 11 people in this connection. However, in April 2011, the investigation was transferred to the NIA. Purohit is one of the accused in the case.

On January 29, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the NIA and the Maharashtra government in regard to Purohit’s plea seeking the cancellation of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) charges, framed against him in the Malegaon blast case. On December 27 last year, Purohit’s petition was dismissed by the special court for the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2018 02:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).