Col Purohit asked to show documents that attending conspiracy meetings was his duty

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday continued to hear the submissions in the discharge application filed by Col Purohit, prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.

A bench of Justices Sambhaji Shinde and Manish Pitale sought to know from Purohit's counsel Shrikant Shivade if there was any document to support his claim that he attended the conspiracy meetings as a part of his official duty. "Do you have any document to show that while attending the various conspiracy meetings you were discharging your official duty?" the bench questioned Shivade, who has been arguing that his client (Purohit) has done no wrong by attending the conspiracy meetings.

Shivade, however, argued that his client cannot be made to face trial in the situation if the trial court in the future, acquitts him from the case on the ground that the prosecution agency had not acquired the mandatory sanction to prosecute him.

The bench has adjourned the matter till February 22.