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After nearly two decades, a glimmer of light has finally emerged for 12 individuals accused in the horrific 2006 Mumbai train blasts case. In a scathing verdict, the Bombay High Court has acquitted these individuals, effectively tearing apart the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad’s (ATS) case against them and bringing an end to 19 years of agonizing incarceration for those who survived.
The Ordeal: 19 Years Behind Bars
The 2006 Mumbai train blasts, which claimed over 180 lives and injured hundreds, led to a sprawling investigation that saw numerous arrests. Among those apprehended were 12 individuals who would spend the next 19 years of their lives in jail, enduring a protracted legal battle that culminated in a special court conviction in 2015, which has now been overturned. The High Court’s review of over 44,000 pages of record ultimately led to the conclusion that the ATS had no substantial case against the accused.
For the acquitted, these 19 years represent a devastating loss of youth, family, and freedom. Mohammad Ali Shaikh (56), a Unani medicine seller who was accused of providing his room for bomb-making, eloquently captured the profound relief mixed with immense loss upon his release: “After 19 years, I sat with my wife, children, brothers and sisters and had food.” His son, Mohammed Sohail, was just 11 when his father was arrested and grew up hiding his father’s incarceration, remarkably going on to become a civil engineer despite immense financial hardship.
Stories of Resilience and Refusal
The accounts of the acquitted individuals highlight not only the immense personal suffering but also their unwavering belief in their innocence. One powerful testimony reveals that officials attempted to coerce them into becoming approvers (witnesses for the prosecution) by offering substantial incentives. One individual recounted being offered “Rs 10 lakh, [and a] job in Dubai,” but vehemently refused, choosing to endure prolonged imprisonment rather than falsely implicate himself or others. This act of defiance underscores the deep conviction of innocence held by those now set free.
Among the 12, the stories are heartbreakingly similar:
- Tanveer Ansari (52): A Unani doctor, arrested when his wife was pregnant, saw his daughter grow to 19 while he was jailed. Both his parents passed away during his incarceration.
- Sajid Ansari (49): An electronics engineer, whose wife was pregnant at the time of his arrest, tragically lost his mother and two sisters while in jail. He consistently maintained that the evidence against him was fabricated.
- Zameer Shaikh (50): A key-maker whose family was shattered by his wrongful framing, lost his parents and eventually divorced his wife due to the uncertainty of his future.
- Kamal Ansari (Deceased): Accused of planting a bomb, tragically passed away in 2021 at the age of 50 due to Covid-related complications, still waiting for his appeal to be heard.
The Cost of Injustice
The Bombay High Court’s stern judgment serves as a critical examination of the investigation that led to nearly two decades of lost lives. While the verdict brings belated justice to the acquitted, it also raises pressing questions about systemic flaws, the immense human cost of protracted trials, and the need for rigorous scrutiny of evidence in terror cases. The collective sigh of relief from the families of the acquitted is accompanied by the grim realization of irreplaceable years stolen by a system that ultimately found them innocent.
This landmark acquittal underscores the resilience of the human spirit in the face of grave injustice and serves as a powerful reminder of the imperative for a swift, fair, and infallible justice system that protects the innocent at all costs.
