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Nineteen years after the tragic Mumbai train blasts in 2006, which resulted in the loss of 189 lives and left over 800 individuals injured, the Bombay High Court has today acquitted all 12 individuals who were previously convicted by a lower court in connection with the serial bombing case. In 2015, a trial court found these 12 accused guilty, sentencing five of them to death and the remaining to life imprisonment. However, the high court bench, comprising Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Shyam Chandak, has overturned the trial court’s decision, stating that the prosecution had “utterly failed” to establish the case against the accused. The court indicated that the accused should be released from prison unless they are implicated in any other cases. The bench highlighted that the convicts were granted the “benefit of doubt” due to the prosecution’s inability to substantiate the charges. The court raised concerns regarding the reliability of witness statements, noting that it is improbable for a person to recall a suspect 100 days after the blasts. Furthermore, the court remarked that the explosives, weapons, and maps obtained during the investigation seemed unrelated to the bombings. The prosecution, it stated, could not even demonstrate the type of bombs that were utilized in the attacks.
On July 11, 2006, a series of seven bomb blasts struck separate local trains in Mumbai within a span of 11 minutes. The bombings, which employed rigged pressure cookers to maximize damage, began at 6:24 pm during the rush hour as commuters were returning home from work, with the final explosion occurring at 6:35 pm. The bombs were strategically placed in the first-class compartments of trains departing from Churchgate, detonating near the stations of Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar, and Borivali.
In 2015, a trial court convicted 12 individuals in relation to the blasts. The special court operating under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act sentenced Faisal Sheikh, Asif Khan, Kamal Ansari, Ehtesham Sidduqui, and Naveed Khan to death. The other seven convicts—Mohammed Sajid Ansari, Mohammed Ali, Dr. Tanveer Ansari, Majid Shafi, Muzzammil Shaikh, Sohail Shaikh, and Zamir Shaikh—received life sentences for their involvement in the conspiracy. Now, all 12 convicts are set to be released.
(Newsroom staff only edited this story for style from a syndicated feed)
