The Indian Army has promoted Colonel Shrikant Purohit to the rank of Brigadier. The move comes days after the Principal Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) had held his retirement, due on March 31, in abeyance.Sources confirmed the promotion of now Brigadier Purohit, which means his date of retirement now gets automatically extended till March 31, 2028. In the Army, a Brigadier retires at the age of 56, while a Colonel retires at 54.Col Purohit, who was acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, was earlier scheduled to retire on March 31, 2026. The AFT Bench comprising Justice Rajendra Menon and Chairperson Rasika Chaube had last month said the retirement be held in abeyance till Col Purohit’s pending statutory complaint seeking his due promotion decided by the Army.The AFT order dated March 16 stated: “We direct that till decision on the statutory complaint, the applicant’s retirement should be kept in abeyance”.Col Purohit had claimed that he was entitled for promotion to the rank of Brigadier at par with his juniors, who have been promoted while he was facing criminal trial.Col Purohit arrested in 2008 and granted bail by Supreme Court in August 2017 and he was permitted to join duties. The trial had continued at the Special NIA Court Mumbai which acquitted Col Purohit on July 31, 2025.Col Purohit’s prayer was that after his acquittal, the unblemished service in the Indian Army for more than 20 years would come to a very adverse ending. He sought a stay on his retirement till the statutory complaint is not decided, or his case for promotion to the higher post are not considered at par with his juniors.It was argued that even after excellent ACR’s earned by Col Purohit his case for promotion is not been considered.