MUMBAI: An Indian court acquitted 12 men on Monday who were previously convicted for the 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed 187 people and injured over 800. The Bombay High Court overturned the 2015 verdict, citing insufficient evidence.
Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak stated, “The prosecution utterly failed to establish the offence beyond reasonable doubt against the accused on each count.” The men, five of whom were sentenced to death and seven to life imprisonment, were ordered released unless held in other cases.
The blasts occurred during evening rush hour on July 11, 2006, when seven bombs hidden in pressure cookers exploded on packed commuter trains. Prosecutors claimed the bombs targeted first-class coaches to strike Mumbai’s wealthy Gujarati community, allegedly as revenge for the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Authorities initially blamed Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, though a lesser-known group, Lashkar-e-Qahhar, later claimed responsibility. Pakistan denied involvement. The prosecution retains the right to appeal to India’s Supreme Court. – AFP
