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Mumbai/Pune: It has been painful to endure accusations for 17 years, Lt Col Prasad Purohit told TOI after being acquitted in the Malegaon blast case on Thursday. Purohit, currently stationed at an Army unit in Mumbai, said, “I did not do anything against my country. There is nothing above the nation. How can a serving army officer, who sacrificed so much while serving for the nation, be involved in acts of terrorism?”He spent almost nine years in jail. “I lost the cream period of my active service, facing difficulties on multiple fronts – personal, professional, family, friendships, and societal. What was more painful was that my wife, children (2 sons) and my family members endured these painful years.”At the time of arrest, Purohit was with the Army’s corps of military intelligence. “I fought for justice to prove I was never involved in this. The journey was long and unbearable. But I had faith in the judiciary, and today’s verdict is testament to my belief,” he said.Pragya Thakur, dressed in saffron robes, sat in the witness box and broke down after the verdict was pronounced. “I was detained illegally for 13 days and tortured. I was living my life as a sanyasi and was labelled a terrorist. My life was destroyed by the allegations,” she said, addressing the court. She added, “Ye bhagwa ki vijay hui hai, Hindutva ki vijay hui hai (Saffron has won, Hindutva has won).”She said she was happy at least the judge heard their side. “My life has become meaningful now. Whoever did wrong with us, God will never forgive them,” she said.Referring to police in the courtroom, she said, “The way those people did illegal work within the law, our life has been ruined. I can’t live a moment in peace. I want to keep myself alive; maybe I am alive because I am a sanyasi. You have defamed the bhagwa.”Sudhakar Chaturvedi, another of the acquitted accused, said, “I was framed and tortured by police. A bomb was planted at my house. My nails were plucked. It was not a Hindu-Muslim thing. A verdict has been delivered, not justice… It wouldn’t be considered justice until those who framed us are charged.”He added their legal battle was still on. “NIA has mentioned ATS planted a bomb at my house, and I was targeted due to my bhagwa attire,” he said, adding that when he was taken into ATS custody, he was forced to take the names of Yogi Adityanand and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.Major Ramesh Upadhyay (Retd) told TOI, “My family and I went through pain and agony for 17 years but today is a day of celebration. Life will be much happier for me after today… On this day, I remember Balasaheb Thackeray, who stood by us.”Another acquitted accused, Sameer Kulkarni, said when he was arrested, he felt like “a dirty blame” had been put on him. He argued his case himself; he said if other accused had not hired a lawyer, the trial would have ended 15 years ago. He accused the defence and prosecution of prolonging it. The verdict, he said, “is a rebirth for us.”Talking to media outside the court, Purohit said, “I am extremely grateful to the court and all those who stood by me for understanding the case and delivering justice… Malice is over, and it should not be there. We are a great country, a developing nation. I expect and wish everyone should contribute positively towards the country. Let’s be forward-looking.”(Reported by Mateen Hafeez, Shourya Avankhedkar, Pushkraj Vernekar, Prasad Kulkarni & Sandip Dighe)