(Image source from: PTI)
Nineteen years following the 2006 Mumbai train attacks that resulted in 189 fatalities and more than 800 injuries, the Bombay High Court has today overturned the convictions of all 12 individuals who were found guilty by a lower court in connection with the series of bombings. In 2015, a trial court had found these 12 people guilty, handing down death sentences to five of them and life sentences to the others. Overturning the trial court's decision, the high court justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak stated that the prosecution had completely "failed" to demonstrate the case against the defendants. "The prosecution has completely failed to prove the case against the accused. It is difficult to accept that the defendants carried out the crime. Therefore, their convictions are canceled and disregarded," said the court. They indicated that the accused should be released from prison unless they are needed for another case. The court acknowledged that the convicts were granted the "benefit of doubt" because the prosecution did not establish the charges. The court raised concerns about the reliability of witness testimonies, noting that recalling a suspect's details a hundred days after the attacks is unlikely.
The court also mentioned that the explosives, weapons, and maps discovered during the investigation did not seem to be connected to the bombings. It pointed out that the prosecution failed to even identify what type of explosives were used in the attacks. On July 11, 2006, seven bombs went off in different Mumbai local trains in just 11 minutes. The bombs were set up in pressure cookers, which heightened the destruction. The first blast occurred at 6:24 PM — a busy time as people were heading home from work — and the last one at 6:35 PM. The explosives were placed in the first-class sections of trains coming from Churchgate, impacting areas near Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar, and Borivali. In 2015, a trial court convicted 12 individuals related to the bombing incident.
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. After today’s decision by the high court, all 12 convicts are set to be released.
