All 12 Convicted in 2006 Mumbai Train Blasts Acquitted by Bombay High Court After 19 Years
Court Says Prosecution Failed to Prove Case; Orders Immediate Release
Mumbai, July 21, KNT: In a landmark judgment that overturns nearly two decades of legal proceedings, the Bombay High Court on Monday acquitted all 12 individuals convicted in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case, citing lack of evidence and failure of the prosecution to establish guilt.
Nineteen years after the deadly coordinated bombings claimed 189 lives and injured over 800 commuters, the division bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak delivered a scathing verdict, stating that the prosecution had “utterly failed” to prove that the accused were involved. The court remarked that the case lacked credible evidence, and that the accused were entitled to the “benefit of doubt.”
“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 noted, adding that the accused shall be released immediately unless required in any other pending case.
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The court raised doubts over the reliability of witness testimonies, especially those recorded 100 days after the incident, and questioned how any individual could accurately recall suspects under such circumstances. It further stated that key material evidence—including arms, explosives, and maps allegedly recovered during the investigation—appeared to be unrelated to the blasts. Crucially, the court also pointed out that the prosecution was unable to even establish what type of bombs had been used in the attacks.
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On July 11, 2006, within a span of 11 minutes during peak evening rush hour, seven bombs placed in pressure cookers ripped through first-class compartments of Mumbai’s suburban trains, targeting stations like Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar, and Borivali. The blasts remain one of the deadliest attacks on India’s railway network.
A special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court had, in 2015, convicted 12 people. Five of them—Faisal Sheikh, Asif Khan, Kamal Ansari, Ehtesham Siddiqui, and Naveed Khan—were sentenced to death, while seven others were handed life imprisonment for their alleged role in the conspiracy.
With the High Court’s ruling today, all 12 accused—after years behind bars—are now set to walk free, marking a dramatic turn in one of India’s most high-profile terror cases. [KNT]
