The court on Monday acquitted all the 12 accused in the 7/11 Mumbai train bomb blasts case. The ATS plans to consult with the special public prosecutor before making any further decisions
The judgment comes as a major blow to the Maharashtra ATS, which had originally probed the case. File pic
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) will assess its next course of action after reviewing the Bombay High Court's (HC) verdict on the 2006 Mumbai train blasts.
The court on Monday acquitted all the 12 accused in the 7/11 Mumbai train bomb blasts case. The ATS plans to consult with the special public prosecutor before making any further decisions, reported PTI.
The court stated that the prosecution had "utterly failed" to prove its case, adding that it was "hard to believe the accused committed the crime."
The judgment comes as a major blow to the Maharashtra ATS, which had originally probed the case. The ATS had claimed that the accused were members of the banned group Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and had conspired with Pakistani operatives from the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The anti-terror agency detailed that a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court, on September 30, 2015, had handed the death penalty to five of the accused and life imprisonment to seven others, while acquitting one individual in the 2006 serial train blasts case.
The ATS further stated that Additional Solicitor General Raja Thakare and Special Public Prosecutor Chimalkar had argued the state's case in the HC, addressing appeals on the death penalty and life sentences.
The HC heard the matter between July 2024 and January 27, 2025, when both the prosecution and defence completed their respective arguments.
On Monday, it overturned the MCOCA court verdict.
The ATS is now reviewing the HC’s ruling and will consult the special public prosecutor before deciding its next steps, reported PTI.
Meanwhile, temring the verdict as "shocking", Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government will challenge the acquittal ruling in the Supreme Court.
"I will go through the entire (HC) order. I have discussed with the lawyers, and the high court verdict will be challenged in the Supreme Court," Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, told reporters.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi sought to know whether Maharashtra government would take action against Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers who investigated the case.
The HC judgement comes as a major embarrassment to the Maharashtra ATS which probed the case. The agency had claimed that the accused were members of the banned outfit Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and had hatched the conspiracy with Pakistani members of terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
(With PTI inputs)
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