Mumbai, Jul 24 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s stay on the Bombay High Court’s decision to acquit all 12 accused in the 7/11 train blasts case.
On July 21, a special Bombay High Court bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak acquitted the 12 accused, saying the prosecution utterly failed to prove the case and it was “hard to believe the accused committed the crime”.
Of the 12, five had been sentenced to death and seven to life imprisonment by the special court. One of the death row convicts died in 2021.
The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Bombay High Court verdict acquitting all 12 accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bomb blasts case but said they need not return to jail. The top court further directed the Bombay High Court judgement not to be treated as a precedent.
In a post on X, Shinde said, “Heartfelt thanks to the Supreme Court for this decision. Without wasting a moment after the High Court’s verdict, the state government promptly approached the Supreme Court. For this, heartfelt congratulations to the state’s Chief Minister, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis, and the concerned administrative officials. Congratulations also to Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, who represented the government’s side.” “They (guilty) will be sent to the gallows. The state government will not rest until the guilty are severely punished,” Shinde added.
More than 180 people were killed when seven blasts ripped through Mumbai local trains at various locations on the western line on July 11, 2006. PTI MR BNM
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