In a landmark judgment delivered on 21 July 2025, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 individuals convicted in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case, stating that the prosecution had “utterly failed” to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The decision comes nearly 19 years after one of the deadliest terror attacks in Mumbai’s history, which killed over 180 people and injured approximately 824 others.

The attacks, referred to as the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts, occurred on 11 July 2006 when seven synchronized bomb explosions ripped through the first-class compartments of seven suburban trains between 6:23 p.m. and 6:29 p.m. The explosions took place at multiple locations, including Khar-Santa Cruz, Bandra-Khar Road, Jogeshwari-Mahim Junction, Mira Road-Bhayander, Matunga-Mahim Junction, and Borivali, during peak evening hours, causing massive casualties and panic.

Following the blasts, seven separate FIRs (First Information Reports) were registered across different police stations in Mumbai. These were later consolidated and transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for investigation. The ATS identified 13 individuals as prime accused, in addition to 15 absconders and two deceased suspects, and filed a detailed chargesheet under multiple stringent laws including the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), and the Explosives Acts.

A Special MCOCA Court in 2015 had convicted 12 of the accused, sentencing five to death and the remaining seven to life imprisonment. The convicts sentenced to death were:

• Kamal Ahmed Mohd. Vakil Ansari

• Mohd. Faisal Ataur Rahman Shaikh

• Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddique

• Naveed Hussain Khan Rasheed Hussain Khan

• Asif Khan Bashir Khan Juned Abdulla

The seven sentenced to life imprisonment included:

• Tanveer Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Ansari

• Mohammed Majid Mohammed Shafi

• Shaikh Mohammed Ali Alam Shaikh

• Mohammed Sajid Margub Ansari

• Muzzammil Ataur Rahman Shaikh

• Suhail Mehmood Shaikh

• Zameer Ahmed Latifur Rehman Shaikh

Notably, Abdul Wahid Din Mohammad Shaikh had earlier been acquitted by the Special Court in 2015 after spending nine years in prison.

The appeals filed by both the state and the convicted individuals had been pending before the Bombay High Court since 2015. In July 2024, a Special Division Bench of Justices Anil S. Kilor and Shyam C. Chandak was constituted to expedite the hearing.

In its exhaustive 671-page verdict, the High Court quashed all convictions, including the death sentences and life terms. The bench noted that the prosecution relied heavily on three types of evidence:

1. Eyewitness accounts (including taxi drivers and alleged bomb planters)

2. Recoveries of materials

3. Confessional statements

However, the court observed glaring inconsistencies, lack of clarity on the type of bombs used, and unreliable circumstantial evidence. The Bench categorically stated that the chain of events necessary to prove guilt was not established, and the confessions lacked corroboration.

The court emphasized the principle of “beyond reasonable doubt”, a standard in criminal law requiring the prosecution to prove its case so convincingly that there is no logical explanation other than the accused committed the crime. Failure to meet this standard, the court said, necessitated acquittal.

The Bench also reflected on the broader implications of wrongful conviction:

The judgment added that this case represents such a “deceptive closure”, giving society a misleading sense of justice, while the true culprits remain unidentified.

The court ordered the immediate release of all 12 accused, if they were not wanted in any other case. Each was directed to sign a Personal Recognizance (P.R.) bond of ₹25,000 under Section 481 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (equivalent to Section 437A of the old Criminal Procedure Code), to ensure their appearance should an appeal be filed.

The verdict was delivered via video conference, with the accused appearing from prisons across Maharashtra. Many were seen visibly emotional and grateful to their lawyers after hearing the ruling. The court also confirmed that the ruling would apply posthumously to Kamal Ansari, who died of COVID-19 in 2021 while in Nagpur prison.

Following the High Court’s decision, State Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced that the Maharashtra Government is considering challenging the verdict. He stated that the state would first study the court’s order in detail and assess its legal merits before deciding on the next legal step. If any new or additional evidence is found, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will present it.