Mumbai | July 21, 2025 — In a landmark ruling, the Bombay High Court on Monday quashed the convictions of all 12 individuals previously found guilty in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case, delivering a significant blow to the prosecution’s case nearly two decades after the tragic event.
The division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak overturned the 2015 verdict of a special MCOCA court, stating that the prosecution had "utterly failed to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt."
Background: One of India’s Deadliest Terror Attacks
On July 11, 2006, a coordinated series of seven blasts tore through Mumbai’s suburban train network during the evening rush hour, killing 189 commuters and injuring 824 others. The incident, which sent shockwaves across the nation, remains one of the deadliest terror attacks in India’s history.
Following an extensive investigation, 13 individuals were charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). In October 2015, a special court sentenced five accused to death and seven others to life imprisonment.
High Court Scrutiny and Legal Proceedings
The death sentences—delivered to Kamal Ansari (Bihar), Mohammad Faisal Ataur Rahman Shaikh (Mumbai), Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui (Thane), Naveed Hussain Khan (Secunderabad), and Asif Khan (Jalgaon)—were subject to mandatory confirmation by the High Court.
The Maharashtra government had sought confirmation of these sentences in 2015. Simultaneously, the convicts filed appeals challenging their convictions, alleging grave flaws in the prosecution’s case and procedural lapses during the trial.
In July 2024, the High Court constituted a special bench led by Justice Kilor, which conducted near-daily hearings over six months. The matter was reserved for judgment five months ago.
Defense vs. Prosecution
The defense, represented by senior advocates S. Muralidhar, Yug Mohit Chaudhry, Nitya Ramakrishnan, and S. Nagamuthu, argued that the case against the accused was riddled with inconsistencies, and that the trial court had relied heavily on questionable confessions and circumstantial evidence.
In contrast, Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakare, representing the State of Maharashtra, defended the original verdict, stating that the scale and brutality of the attack met the criteria for the “rarest of rare” cases warranting capital punishment.
Additional Developments
One of the 13 original accused passed away in 2021 due to COVID-19, reducing the number of appellants to 12. Monday’s verdict marks a dramatic reversal in one of the country’s most high-profile terror cases.
The High Court’s full judgment is expected to be made available in the coming days and may have significant implications for future terrorism-related prosecutions in India.
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