(Adnkronos) – The Bombay (Mumbai) High Court today acquitted the 12 people convicted, including five sentenced to death, for the July 2006 Mumbai train bombings, which killed 189 people and injured more than 800. The judges ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the guilt of the accused, and therefore overturned the September 30, 2015, ruling of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act Special Court, the state in which the metropolis is located, having found no evidence to support the guilty verdict.
“The prosecution has failed to prove the evidence against the accused. It is difficult to believe that the accused committed the offences they are charged with. Therefore, their conviction is overturned,” the High Court stated. Questioning the reliability of some prosecution witnesses and the identification test of some of the accused, the Court ordered the release of the convicts, unless they are to be detained for other reasons.
The Court further stated that the explosives, weapons and maps recovered during the investigation do not appear to be linked to the explosions. The prosecution, it said, also failed to demonstrate the type of bombs used in the attacks. On July 11, 2006, seven bombs exploded within 10 minutes during the evening rush hour on trains in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, killing 189 people and injuring more than 800. The bombs exploded near Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar and Borivali stations. In 2015, twelve people were convicted at first instance for the attacks.
