• Source:JND
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The accused, acquitted in the 2006 Mumbai train blast case by the trial court, Abdul Wahid Shaikh, has demanded a huge compensation of 9 crore rupees for wrongful incarceration of 9 years and ‘custodial torture’.

Wahid has also submitted an application filed before the National Human Rights Commission as well as the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission on Friday, demanding support for rehabilitation.

The rest of the accused in the case were acquitted by the Bombay High Court. All charges against Wahid were cleared by a special court in 2015, nine years after he was arrested by the Maharashtra anti-terror squad in 2009 for a blast on a train.

In his application, he mentioned that his detention for a period of 9 years caused irreparable damage to his personal and professional life, and due to ‘custodial torture’, he has discovered severe health issues.

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Further, the 'stigma' of being branded a 'terrorist' made it difficult for him to find employment after his release, said Shaikh. He is working as a school teacher and is the sole breadwinner of the family, he said, adding that his family suffered socially, emotionally, and economically when he was in jail.

'I decided to wait until all my co-accused were acquitted and proven innocent,' Whid said, adding that he has incurred a debt of 30 lakh rupees and did not ask for compensation due to moral reasons.

Initially, in 2015, a trial court acquitted Shaikh but sentenced the other 12 men to varying prison terms, including death sentences for five and life imprisonment for seven. Tragically, one of the death row convicts passed away in 2021 while awaiting his fate.

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In July 2025, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 accused, citing the prosecution's failure to prove the case. Shaikh's plea for compensation highlights similar cases where human rights commissions have granted relief to victims of wrongful imprisonment.

 

 

With Inputs From PTI