Bombay High Court Acquits 12 Convicted in 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings Case

• Bombay High Court acquits all 12 individuals convicted in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings case, stating the prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

• The court set aside the 2015 judgment of the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court, which had awarded death sentences to five accused and life imprisonment to seven.

• The Special Division Bench ruled that the evidence presented by the police, including eyewitness accounts, property recoveries, and confessional statements, lacked credibility, coherence, and lawful consistency.

• The court criticized the reliance on similar and allegedly coerced confessional statements, which were “copied” in parts and extracted under duress.

• The court also found that the circumstantial evidence lacked completeness and failed to directly link the accused to the planning or execution of the bombings.

• Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Iqbal Singh Chahal expressed shock and plans to appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court.

• The Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS) will soon submit a detailed report on the case and seek legal advice.