The Maharashtra government reached the Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 22, 2025) against the Bombay High Court’s order to acquit all the 12 accused of the bomb blasts made on the train on July 11, 2006 in Mumbai. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta called it a serious subject and requested an immediate hearing. Chief Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai agreed to put the case for hearing on 23 July.
SG Tushar Mehta requested immediate hearing against the High Court’s decision in front of the Maharashtra Government’s Special Leave Petition (SLP) CJI BR Gavai. Tushar Mehta said, ‘This is a serious matter. SLP is ready. Please list it for hearing tomorrow. There is a need to hear immediately. CJI Gawai immediately gave the date of yesterday for the hearing and said that we read that eight accused have also been acquitted.
The Bombay High Court acquitted all the 12 accused on Monday after 19 years and said that the prosecution failed to prove the case and it is difficult to believe that they have committed a crime.
More than 180 people were killed in these blasts. On July 11, 2006, several local trains of Mumbai had seven explosions at various places on the western line, in which more than 180 people were killed and more than 800 were injured.
A special bench of High Court Judge Justice Anil Killor and Justice Shyam Chandak said that the prosecution failed to bring the type of bombs used in the crime in the record and the evidence he has trusted is not decisive to convict the accused.
After a long trial under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (Macoca), in 2015, the special court convicted five, sentenced to death and seven to life imprisonment. In this case, Kamal Ansari, Mohammad Faisal Atur Rahman Sheikh, Ehtasham Qutubuddin Siddiqui, Naveed Hussain Khan and Asif Khan were found guilty of bomb planting by the court. Kamal Ansari died of Kovid-19 in Nagpur Jail in the year 2021.
Seven convicts who were sentenced to life imprisonment, including Tanveer Ahmed Ansari, Mohammad Majid Shafi, Sheikh Mohammad Ali Alam, Mohammad Sajid Markub Ansari, Muzammmil Atur Rahman Sheikh, Suhail Ghumood Sheikh and Jamir Ahmad Latifur Rahman Sheikh, but on Monday, the High Court has ordered the High Court.