The Supreme Court on Thursday (24th July) put a stay on the Bombay High Court verdict that acquitted all the accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blast case. The decision came after the Maharashtra government approached the apex court, challenging the Bombay High Court Verdict that acquitted all 12 persons convicted by the MCOCA court in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case.
A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Justice NK Singh issued notice to the accused in the criminal appeal filed by the state government and held that the High Court judgment should not be treated as a precedent. Appearing for the state government, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, submitted before the top court that he was not seeking the surrender of the acquitted accused persons. However, he requested that the High Court verdict be stayed, contending that it might impact other sub judice cases under the MCOCA.
“We have been informed that all the respondents have been released and there is no question of bringing them back to the prison. However, taking note of the submission made by the SG on the question of law, we are inclined to hold that the impugned judgment shall not be treated as a precedent. To that extent, there is a stay of the impugned judgment,” the Supreme Court said.
In a judgement passed on 21st July, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 convicts, including 5 on the death row, in connection with the 2006 Mumbai train blast case. Citing discrepancies in the investigation, along with witness testimonies, the High Court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
On July 11, 2006, seven bombs exploded in different compartments of Western Railway trains during the evening rush hour. Around 189 people were killed and more than 800 were injured. After a long trial under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), a special court had, in 2015, convicted five of the accused to death and seven others to imprisonment for life.
