Justice Prevails: Mumbai Train Blast Accused Acquitted After 19 Years

The Bombay High Court bench, consisting of Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak, acquitted all 12 individuals accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings. The bench quashed their earlier convictions, citing a lack of conclusive evidence presented by the prosecution, which failed to establish the means or motive behind the crime.

Advocate Yug Chaudhary, representing the accused, hailed the verdict as a significant moment for the judiciary and humanity, emphasizing that the acquittal of the accused—who spent nearly two decades in incarceration—restores faith in the justice system. His colleague, Senior Advocate S Murlidhar, criticized the investigative proceedings, alleging a pattern of communal bias.

The court's decision follows years of unaddressed appeals and comes before a special bench formed in response to a plea by death row inmate Ehtesham Siddiqui. The verdict set aside the 2015 special court ruling that initially sentenced five accused to death and the remaining seven to life imprisonment.

(With inputs from agencies.)