Aparna Purohit, the wife of Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit, accused of financing the 2008 Malegaon twin blasts, who 'religiously attended' court proceedings, says she finally feels like rejoicing
Lt Col Purohit with wife Aparna
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"I'm relieved he will finally be home after nine years. We will be one as a family... but that doesn't mean our fight for justice stops; we'll keep at it," said Aparna Purohit, wife of Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit, accused of financing the 2008 Malegaon twin blasts, which killed seven and injured 78, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Monday.
The Purohit residence in Pune
A doctor by profession, Aparna stays with their two sons and her mother-in-law in Pune.
"I have been living in fear of the verdict for the last nine years. I have religiously attended all court proceedings. It took the agency five years to file the charge sheet after his arrest. And finding his name and the accusations against him in it was a huge shock. It took us a long time to overcome it and gear up for the fight," she said.
Also read - Malegaon blast case: Shiv Sena hails bail to Shrikant Prasad Purohit, calls him a 'hero'
"We became each other's strength and divided the responsibilities. I focused on Prasad's trial and court matters, my mother-in-law took up the task of taking care of the household, and my sister-in-law looked after our expenses. I was forced to give up my practice, but my friends encouraged me to pursue the case.
"Today, I am rejoicing, as at long last our battle is seeing a fruitful outcome."
She added, "For Prasad, Army is his lifeline, without which it's a meaningless existence for him. Now that he's got bail, he will hope to resume work..."
Also read - Lt Colonel Purohit gets bail: What Congress, BJP and NCP said
Expressing happiness at the apex court's ruling, childhood friends of Purohit reiterated that he was innocent and that they believed justice would be delivered in the case.
One of them, Jayant Bhave, who had rushed to the Purohit residence on getting the good news, said, "This bail has taken a long time coming, but it's here finally and we are happy. We know he is innocent. We plan to file an appeal in court for a speedy trial."
Also read: Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit gets bail in Malegaon case - after nine years in jail
Reminiscing about their boyhood days, another friend, Shekhar Joshi, said Purohit always stood by what he believed to be right, while Niket Kuvalekar said he was a born fighter and very dedicated to his service.
The three friends, eagerly awaiting their partner's arrival home, termed it "festival season", saying they would all be together after nine long years.
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