SC stays Bombay HC’s verdict acquitting all accused in Mumbai train blasts case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has stayed the Bombay High Court's verdict acquitting all the 12 accused in the Mumbai train blast case. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh said the high court verdict shall not be treated as a precedent and issued notice to all the accused in the case. The court did not stay the release of the accused from jail. These developments happened while the Supreme Court was considering the plea filed by the Maharashtra government challenging the high court's verdict. Notices were sent to all the accused in the case.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Maharashtra government in the Supreme Court, sought a stay on the verdict, but did not seek a stay on the release of the accused acquitted. The Bombay High Court’s order cited the prosecution's failure to prove the charges against the accused. A special bench of the high court, comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak, had said that the prosecution's evidence was insufficient. In 2015, the trial court had sentenced five of the accused to death and the rest to life imprisonment.

The series of blasts on July 11, 2006, killed 189 people. Seven bombs exploded in different Mumbai local trains within 11 minutes. Pressure cookers were also used to increase the intensity of the blasts. The first blast took place at 6.24 pm on the day of the incident, and the last at 6.35 pm. The bombs were planted in first class compartments of trains from Churchgate. The blasts took place near Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar and Borivali.