2006 Mumbai Train Blasts: Bombay High Court Acquits All 12 Accused, Cites Lack of Evidence

Mumbai: In a historic judgment that has sent ripples across the country, the Bombay High Court on Monday acquitted all 12 individuals convicted in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case, citing severe lapses in the prosecution’s case and a lack of credible evidence.

The verdict, delivered by a special bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak at 9:30 AM, overturned the 2015 trial court convictions that had sentenced five accused to death and seven to life imprisonment. The judges observed that the prosecution “utterly failed” to establish the guilt of the accused, despite nearly two decades of legal proceedings.

The blasts, which occurred on July 11, 2006, targeted Mumbai’s lifeline — the Western Railway suburban trains — during peak rush hour. Seven coordinated explosions, planted in pressure cookers inside first-class compartments, killed 189 people and injured over 800, marking one of India’s deadliest terror attacks.

In their sharply worded judgment, the bench noted that witness testimonies were unreliable, forensic evidence was insufficient, and no direct link could be established between the accused and the attacks. The court criticized investigative lapses, particularly the inability to definitively match recovered materials with the bombs used in the attack.

“The identification of the accused by taxi drivers and other witnesses was vague and unconvincing, even after 100 days had passed. The prosecution’s narrative lacked coherence and clarity,” the court observed. The bench ordered that the accused be released immediately unless they are involved in other cases.

Families of the accused, who appeared via video conference from different prisons across Maharashtra, expressed relief and gratitude toward their legal teams. Meanwhile, victims’ families voiced deep disappointment and sorrow, saying justice had been denied.