Maharastra Government Challenges Court Over 2006 Blasts Verdict
A significant legal battle is set to escalate to the nation's highest court after the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 men previously convicted for the 2006 Mumbai train bombings. The Maharashtra government immediately announced its decision to challenge the verdict, which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis labeled as "shocking." This move signals a direct confrontation over a case that has been a defining chapter in the city's history with terrorism.
The High Court's special bench delivered a powerful rebuke to the prosecution's case, stating it had "utterly failed" to prove the charges. The judges, Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak, concluded that it was difficult to believe the accused had committed the crime that killed over 180 people on July 11, 2006. The ruling systematically dismantled the foundation of the 2015 special court convictions, pointing to critical flaws in the investigation and trial process.
According to the High Court, the evidence presented was far from conclusive. The bench highlighted that the prosecution could not even specify the type of bombs used in the attack. Key witnesses were deemed unreliable, with the court noting the "abnormal" delay—some over four years—before they came forward to identify the accused. The judgment also cast serious doubt on the validity of identification parades and suggested that confessional statements had been extracted under duress.
The state's appeal to the Supreme Court will now contest these findings. The government aims to overturn the acquittal and reinstate the convictions, which included death sentences for five of the accused. The case now rests on whether the Supreme Court will find merit in the state's appeal or uphold the High Court's scathing assessment of the original investigation.
