MUMBAI – Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), on Monday sharply criticized investigating agencies following the Bombay High Court’s acquittal of all 12 men previously convicted in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case. Calling it a “complete failure” of the police, Owaisi lamented that the accused had lost 18 years of their lives for a crime they did not commit.
The Bombay High Court bench, comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak, quashed the convictions handed down by a special court in 2015. The bench stated that the prosecution had “utterly failed” to prove the case, finding it difficult to believe the accused committed the crime. “We did our duty as judges. That is the responsibility cast upon us,” the bench remarked.
The High Court’s verdict highlighted that the prosecution failed even to record the type of bombs used, and the evidence it relied on was not conclusive. “The witness statements and alleged recoveries made from the accused have no evidentiary value,” the court stated.
Reacting to the verdict, Owaisi posted on X: “12 Muslim men were in jail for 18 years for a crime they didn’t commit. Their prime life is gone. 180 families who lost their loved ones, several injured — no closure for them.”
Owaisi further criticized the police for what he termed a presumption of guilt in high-profile cases and accused the media of conducting parallel trials. “In such cases where there is a public outcry, the approach by police is always to first assume guilt… The way the media covers the case, it kind of decides the guilt of a person,” he said.
He also demanded action against the Maharashtra ATS officers who investigated the case and questioned the role of the political leadership in 2006. “Please remember which parties were ruling Maharashtra in 2006. They are also responsible for disregarding complaints of torture,” Owaisi added, noting the personal toll, such as the death of Mohammed Majid’s wife while he was imprisoned.
How Others Reacted
The verdict drew varied reactions from other political figures and legal experts:
- Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, who was an MP from Mumbai in 2006, expressed dismay: “As a Mumbaikar, I cannot accept this verdict… I appeal to the Maharashtra government to hire the best lawyers and appeal against the Bombay high court’s judgment immediately.”
- BJP leader Kirit Somaiya found the verdict “deeply disappointing” and pointed to “shortcomings in both the investigation and legal presentation.”
- Veteran lawyer Prashant Bhushan questioned the credibility of the initial conviction: “They were convicted & sentenced to death only on police confessions… They went through 19 years of torture, jail & suffering! What recompense?”
- Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said the acquittal raises serious concerns and confirmed the state will appeal the decision in the Supreme Court. “Many innocent lives were lost. The court’s lack of faith in the evidence is extremely serious.”
The Bench’s Stance and Lawyers’ Remarks
Advocate Yug Chaudhary, representing the accused, stated that the judgment “restores faith in humanity and judiciary as the 12 accused have been languishing in jail for 19 years for a crime they have not committed.” He added, “It is a credit to the independence of the institution. More than restoring faith in the judiciary, this judiciary restores faith in humanity. This judgment will always be a sign of hope in times to come.”
Senior advocate S Murlidhar, also appearing for some of the accused, thanked the high court for its patient hearing and the acquittal. During arguments, Murlidhar, a former high court judge, had submitted that the accused spent the better parts of their life in jail despite being innocent, alleging a pattern of “communal bias” by investigating agencies in terror-related cases.
The High Court on Monday refused to confirm the September 2015 judgment of the special court, which had sentenced five of the 12 to death and the remaining seven to life imprisonment. Seven blasts ripped through Mumbai local trains on the Western Line on July 11, 2006, killing over 180 people and injuring many others.