7/11 Mumbai Train Blasts: Bombay High Court Acquits All 12 Accused
The Bombay High court has quashed and set aside the judgement of a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) court, that awarded the death penalty to 5 and life terms to 7 convicts in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case. The blast killed 189 citizens and injured over 800 on the Mumbai’s Western Railway local line.

A special bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak, after hearing appeals for over six months, held that prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. Dr. S. Muralidhar, former Orissa High Court Chief Justice and now senior counsel, represented some of the convicts, highlighting the lapses in investigation and also the trial, the lapses on part of the investigating officers in obtaining confessional statements of the accused and also about the media trial and conduct of the courts in such terrorism or high-profile cases.

He emphasized that the accused had been in jail for 17-18 years without proper evidence, and that the stigma of such cases affects not only the accused but also their families. The detailed High Court judgement is awaited.
By: Rajat Ranjan
Source: Live Law
Pic Credit: The Hindu, Indian Express, Google
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