Nineteen years after the deadly 2006 Mumbai train bombings, the Bombay High Court has acquitted all 12 men previously convicted in the case.
The coordinated blasts occurred on July 11, 2006, targeting Mumbai’s suburban trains. In just 11 minutes, seven explosions ripped through first-class compartments, killing 189 people and injuring over 800. The blasts hit trains near Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar, and Borivali stations.
A special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) convicted the 12 men in 2015. Five were sentenced to death, and seven received life imprisonment. They were accused of planning and executing the attacks using pressure cooker bombs.
However, the Bombay High Court has now overturned the verdict. A two-judge bench, comprising Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Shyam Chandak, ruled that the prosecution had “completely failed” to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The court expressed serious doubts about the evidence presented. It said the identification of suspects by witnesses more than 100 days after the incident was unreliable. The judges also noted that the weapons and explosives recovered during the investigation could not be directly linked to the bombings.
Another major issue was the prosecution’s failure to confirm the exact type of bomb used in the attacks. The court said the recovered material and maps did not clearly support the prosecution’s case.
Given these concerns, the bench ruled that all 12 men should be given the benefit of doubt. Their convictions have been set aside, and they will be released unless required in other legal matters.
The acquittal has sparked mixed reactions across India. While families of the accused welcomed the decision, families of the victims expressed shock and disappointment.
The 2006 Mumbai train bomb blast remains one of India’s worst terror attacks, and the latest ruling has reopened debates on the quality of investigation and fairness in high-profile terror cases.
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