• Source:JND
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2006 Mumbai Train Blasts: The Bombay High Court on Monday passed a judgment acquitting all 12 convicts of the 2006 Mumbai trains serial blasts that claimed the lives of 18 people. The decision has stretched the wait for justice for the family members of those 189 people as after 19 years, the case stands with no accused.

The judgment is also seen as a setback for the Maharashtra ATS, which was probing the case. A special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) trial court convicted the 12 accused in September 2015.

What happened on July 11?

On July 11, 2006, seven bomb blasts shocked the financial capital of India. Planted in seven different local trains, the bombs blew off during the evening rush hour in a coordinated manner within 11 minutes.

The orchestrators used rigged pressure cookers for the bombings to amplify the damage. First of the seven blasts took place at 6:24 pm and last at 6:35 pm.

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The bombs were placed in the first class compartment of the trains at the Churchgate station, which exploded at Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar and Borivali and Matunga Road.

In 2015, the trua court called the act inhumane and convicted Faisal Sheikh, Asif Khan, Kamal Ansari, Ehtesham Sidduqui and Naveed Khan to death. Seven other convicts Mohammed Sajid Ansari, Mohammed Ali, Dr Tanveer Ansari, Majid Shafi, Muzzammil Shaikh, Sohail Shaikh and Zamir Shaikh were sentenced to life imprisonment. 

Why Bombay HC acquitted convicts?

While acquitting the victims, the special division bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak said that the prosecution failed utterly to prove the case against the accused.

The bench said, “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".

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Here are pointed observation of the Bombay HC

-Prosecution failed to bring on record the type of bombs used in the blast.

-HC questioned the validity of witness account as identifications made after four months and again in court four years later, asking how they remembered the accused about 100 days after the blast. 

-The court noted that all the convicts were given the "benefit of doubt" due to the prosecution's failure to prove the charges.

-There were procedural lapses, including poor handling of recovered items like explosives and circuit boxes allegedly used to assemble the bombs.

-Explosives, arms and maps recovered during the probe seemed unrelated to the blasts.