THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Mumbai, July 21: The Bombay High Court on Monday delivered a major verdict in the 2006 Mumbai local train serial bomb blast case, acquitting 11 out of the 12 convicts due to lack of sufficient evidence.
A division bench of Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Shyam Chandak stated that the prosecution failed to present adequate and reliable evidence to justify the convictions. One of the convicts had died during the appeal process.
Deadly Blasts Shook Mumbai in 2006
On July 11, 2006, during peak hours, seven bomb explosions ripped through Mumbai’s suburban train network. The coordinated attacks not only shook the city but sent shockwaves across the country. A total of 189 people were killed and over 700 injured in what investigators described as one of the deadliest terrorist conspiracies in India.
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The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted an extensive investigation, resulting in multiple arrests. In 2015, a trial court convicted 12 individuals in connection with the case. Five of them were sentenced to death, while the remaining seven were handed life imprisonment.
High Court Overturns Convictions
The High Court has now overturned these convictions, acquitting 11 individuals of all charges. The court underlined that the evidence presented did not meet the legal threshold required to sustain convictions. The verdict has sparked questions over the functioning and reliability of the state’s investigative agencies.
It remains unclear whether the Maharashtra government will challenge the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court, though speculation suggests that an appeal may be likely.
