Mumbai: Nearly two decades after the devastating 2006 Mumbai train blasts that killed 189 people and injured over 800, the Bombay High Court on Monday acquitted all 12 individuals who had been convicted in the case by a trial court in 2015.
A division bench comprising Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Shyam Chandak delivered the verdict, stating that the prosecution had “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 court observed, granting them the benefit of doubt and ordering their release, unless they are wanted in any other cases.
The court raised serious concerns over the evidence presented, noting inconsistencies in witness testimonies and questioning the reliability of identification nearly 100 days after the blasts. It also found the explosives, weapons, and maps recovered during the investigation to be unrelated to the actual bombings. Importantly, the prosecution failed to establish the nature of the explosives used in the attacks.
On July 11, 2006, seven powerful blasts occurred within 11 minutes aboard Mumbai’s suburban trains during evening rush hour. Pressure cooker bombs were placed in the first-class compartments of local trains, targeting stations between Matunga Road and Borivali.
In 2015, a special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) had convicted 12 men in the case. Five of them Faisal Sheikh, Asif Khan, Kamal Ansari, Ehtesham Siddiqui, and Naveed Khan — were sentenced to death, while the remaining seven were given life imprisonment for their role in the conspiracy.
With today’s acquittal, all 12 accused are set to walk free, marking a major reversal in one of India’s deadliest terror attack trials.
