logo
High Court verdict on batch of petitions filed in 2006 Mumbai train blasts today

High Court verdict on batch of petitions filed in 2006 Mumbai train blasts today

India Today2 days ago
More than 19 years after the Mumbai train bombings on July 11, 2006, the Bombay High Court is scheduled to pass the judgement on 11 appeals filed by the state as well as the convicts in the case on Monday.On July 11, 2006, major explosions at seven locations on Mumbai's suburban rail network in a span of 11 minutes claimed 189 lives and injured 827 commuters.advertisementWhile 13 accused were arrested, 15 others were declared wanted, some allegedly in Pakistan. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), filing the chargesheet in November 2006.
In 2015, the trial court convicted 12 accused, five of whom were sentenced to death, while the remaining seven were sentenced to life imprisonment.As per the law, the state government then filed a petition in the High Court seeking confirmation of the death sentences. The accused also filed appeals challenging their convictions and sentences.While the state had filed for confirmation of death sentences in 2015, the appeals were filed between 2019 and 2023.In spite of the appeals being filed, they remained unheard of for a long time as the evidence was voluminous and one division bench of the High Court had to dedicatedly hear only this case.Thus, the appeals came up before many benches but could not be heard. Finally, one of the convicts in the case, Ehtesham siddiqui, filed a plea seeking expeditious hearing of the appeal.Following that, a special bench was constituted which heard the appeals for almost six months and wrote the judgements for the last six months.- Ends
IN THIS STORY#Mumbai
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

"Mistake...": Maharashtra Goes To Top Court Against Train Blasts Acquittals
"Mistake...": Maharashtra Goes To Top Court Against Train Blasts Acquittals

NDTV

time37 minutes ago

  • NDTV

"Mistake...": Maharashtra Goes To Top Court Against Train Blasts Acquittals

The Maharashtra government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging yesterday's Bombay High Court's decision to acquit 12 persons who were accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts. The plea was mentioned on Tuesday before a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai by Solicitor General of India (SGI) Tushar Mehta, who requested that the plea be taken up urgently by the top court. The Court listed the matter for hearing on Thursday. Nineteen years after seven train blasts that killed more than 180 persons, the high court on Monday acquitted all the 12 accused, saying the prosecution utterly failed to prove the case and it was "hard to believe the accused committed the crime". The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), said the high court, failed to prove the offences beyond a reasonable doubt. The high court set aside a September 2015 judgment of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) court that had imposed the death penalty on 5 of the 12 accused persons and had sentenced the remaining 7 to life. In its damning indictment of the prosecution's case, the high court declared all confessional statements of the accused as inadmissible and suggested "copying". The Maharashtra government argued in its petition that the high court has recorded a "very peculiar observation in disbelieving the confession" of the fifth accused. The government has called it a mistake to not trust the important evidence on the recovery of RDX and detonator. "The High Court has disbelieved the recovery of 500 gms of RDX from Accused No 1on a hyper technical ground that the RDX which was seized was not sealed with a lac seal. It is worth noting that it was not sealed with Lac because RDX is a flammable high court has erred in disbelieving the recovery of RDX," said the government in its petition. Investigators said the bombs, made of RDX and ammonium nitrate, were placed inside pressure cookers and concealed in bags. The attacks were attributed to Pakistan-backed Islamic militants. The High Court, argued the state government, has committed a grave error in not accepting the arguments advanced by the trial court for sentencing the accused. "It has erred in acquitting the accused of all the charges including the UAPA," it said. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) filed charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The prosecution relied heavily on confessions, alleged recoveries, and circumstantial evidence - none of which stood up under the high court's scrutiny. "It is necessary to see that the accused were continuously engaged in activities prohibited by law, which are cognizable offences punishable with imprisonment for 3 years or more and in respect of which more than one charge sheet has to be filed in the competent court within the preceding period of 10 years and which have been tried by the competent court cognizance should have been taken," it said. Former Mumbai police commissioner A N Roy today expressed shock over the high court's acquittal of all 12 accused in the case, saying the probe into the case was conducted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in a professional manner where evidence was collected "honestly and truthfully". On the evening of July 11, 2006, bomb blasts took place at seven different places in the Mumbai local trains within just 11 minutes. In this incident, 189 people died, while more than 827 passengers were injured. The bombs were placed in first-class compartments of trains from Churchgate. They exploded near the stations of Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar, and Borivali. A trial court in 2015 convicted 12 people in the blasts' case.

Over 833 kg ganja destroyed by Tambaram City Police
Over 833 kg ganja destroyed by Tambaram City Police

The Hindu

timean hour ago

  • The Hindu

Over 833 kg ganja destroyed by Tambaram City Police

Tambaram City Police destroyed 833.5 kg of seized ganja with the approval of the narcotic disposal committee. The contraband, accumulated from various enforcement operations across Tambaram City, was incinerated at GJ Multiclave Company, located in Thenmelpakkam, Chengalpet District. Given the hazardous and decaying nature of narcotic substances and the limitations of secure storage, the Police regularly undertakes the destruction of seized drugs as per the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Tambaram City Police said the destruction was conducted at a licensed incineration facility, in full compliance with legal and environmental protocols. Senior officials were present to oversee the process, ensuring complete transparency and adherence to due procedures under the NDPS Act. In 2025, a total of 1,304 kgs of ganja has been destroyed so far. Furthermore, the Drug Disposal Committee is actively considering the destruction of over 1,000 kgs of additional seized ganja.

Donald Trump's US visa rule is brutal: one crime & you're out, embassy warns Indians; details here
Donald Trump's US visa rule is brutal: one crime & you're out, embassy warns Indians; details here

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Donald Trump's US visa rule is brutal: one crime & you're out, embassy warns Indians; details here

The United States embassy in India has issued a stark warning regarding the country's visa conditions on its X account. The embassy warns that anyone arrested for violent crimes such as assault or domestic abuse could have their visa revoked immediately and be blacklisted from future visa applications. The embassy closed with the following statement: 'A visa is a privilege, not a right – one that can be revoked if you break the law." This warning comes on the heels of the Donald Trump administration's increasingly hardline stances on immigration, which have been exemplified by the incredibly contentious mass deportation program that is currently ongoing. The Embassy had issued another warning earlier this month after an Indian immigrant was arrested for shoplifting at Target. The United States embassy threatens visa revocation The US Embassy's statement makes the dire consequences of violating visa conditions incredibly clear. If you are arrested for assault, domestic violence, or other crimes while in the United States, your U.S. visa may be revoked, and you may be ineligible for future U.S. visas. A visa is a privilege, not a right – one that can be revoked if you break the law. Historically, United States immigrants have been held to high standards when it comes to the consequences of breaking the law. These crimes don't just include the serious, violent offences such as domestic violence and assault that are mentioned in the Embassy's statement. Other crimes such as larceny, embezzlement, robbery and burglary can and have led to serious consequences faced by United States immigrants. Donald Trump's crackdown on immigrants has come under severe scrutiny, however, because of allegations that the President has not followed due process when detaining and deporting many of the migrants that are being rounded up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Donald Trump's immigration crackdown dogged by due process concerns Donald Trump's mass deportation operation, which is being managed by Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, as well as Border Czar Tom Homan, has apprehended and deported thousands of immigrants, and even alleged United States citizens, out of the country. NBC News: The 5th Amendment says everyone deserves due processDonald Trump: It might say that, but if you're talking about that, then we'd have to have a million or two million or three million trials. @atrupar Many of these detainees have wound up in detention centers such as CECOT or the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador. Donald Trump's approach to deterring immigration been sharply criticized by his opponents, who accuse him of violating due process and punishing innocent people with no criminal record. Anti-ICE protests led to a massive flashpoint in Los Angeles in June 2025, where the National Guard and United States Marines were eventually mobilized to quell he crowds.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store