Highlight
- Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 convicted in 2006 Mumbai train blasts case
- Trial court had sentenced five to death and others to life imprisonment in 2015
- High court ruled prosecution failed to prove the accused committed the crime
Mumbai: Nineteen years after the 2006 Mumbai train blasts, the tragedy claimed 189 lives and left over 800 people injured. Today, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 people. They had been convicted by a lower court in the serial bombing case. In 2015, a trial court had found these 12 accused guilty. It sentenced five of them to death. The others received life imprisonment.
The high court bench of Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Shyam Chandak set aside the trial court order. They said the prosecution had “utterly failed” to prove the case against the accused.
“The prosecution has utterly failed to prove the case against the accused. It is hard to believe that the accused committed the crime. Hence, their conviction is quashed and set aside,” the bench said. The court said the accused shall be released from jail if they are not wanted in any other case.
Also read: Mumbai High Court Halts Demolition After Protests Over 90-Year-Old Jain Temple in Vile Parle
The bench noted that the convicts were given the “benefit of doubt.” This was due to the prosecution’s failure to prove the charges. The court questioned witness statements. It noted that 100 days after the blasts, it is not possible for a person to remember a suspect.
The court also said that the explosives, arms, and maps recovered during the investigation appeared unrelated to the blasts. They did not seem connected to the incident. The prosecution, it said, could not even prove what kind of bombs were used in the blasts.
Serial Bomb Blasts
On July 11, 2006, seven bomb blasts had ripped through separate Mumbai local trains within 11 minutes. Rigged pressure cookers were used for the bombings to amplify the damage caused. The first occurred at 6.24 pm — rush hour due to people returning from work — and the last at 6.35 pm. The bombs were placed in first-class compartments of trains from Churchgate. They exploded near the stations of Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar and Borivali.
A trial court in 2015 convicted 12 people in the blasts case. The special court of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act handed down death sentences to five convicts. These convicts are Faisal Sheikh, Asif Khan, Kamal Ansari, Ehtesham Sidduqui, and Naveed Khan. Seven other convicts include Mohammed Sajid Ansari, Mohammed Ali, and Dr Tanveer Ansari. Others are Majid Shafi, Muzzammil Shaikh, Sohail Shaikh, and Zamir Shaikh. They were sentenced to life imprisonment for being part of the conspiracy. All the 12 convicts will now walk free after the high court’s ruling today.
For all latest updates Follow theviralmail on X, Facebook, and Instagram
