<p>Mumbai: Nineteen years after the serial train blasts shook Mumbai, the Bombay High Court acquitted all the accused on Monday.</p><p>Seven blasts in 11 minutes on July 11, 2006 in first-class suburban train compartments of Western Railway route in the evening peak hours left Mumbai rattled - and was one of the worst terrorist attacks in railway infrastructure in the world.</p><p>As many as 187 people were killed and over 900 others were injured in the incident.</p><p>“The prosecution utterly failed in establishing the case beyond reasonable doubts,” said a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising J Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak.</p><p>The statements of the prosecution witness were unreliable, the bench observed.</p>.NCP, Chhava Sanghatna workers clash over Maharashtra minister Kokate's mobile 'game' video.<p>Those convicted by the trial court include Kamal Ahamed Ansari, Tanvir Ahmed Ansari, Mohd Faisal Shaikh, Ehtesham Siddiqui, Mohammad Majid Shafi, Shaikh Alam Shaikh, Mohd Sajid Ansari, Muzzammil Shaikh, Soheil Mehmood Shaikh (43), Zamir Ahmad Shaikh, Naveed Hussain Khan and Asif Khan.</p><p>The accused were booked under Indian Penal Code, Explosives Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Indian Railway Act and those under MCOCA.</p><p>On September 11, 2015, as many as 12 of the 13 accused were convicted by a special court and sentenced while one of them was acquitted.</p><p>Of the 12 convicts, five were awarded capital punishment while the rest of them were given life imprisonment.</p><p>The blasts had taken place in running locals between stations at Khar Road-Santacruz, Bandra-Khar Road, Jogeshwari-Mahim Junction, Mira Road- Bhayander, Matunga-Mahim Junction and at Borivali.</p><p>The main planner and conspirator was Azam Cheema alias Babaji, the Bahawalpur-based LeT commander who doubles up as an ISI operative – a wanted accused in the case. He started planning several years ago and commenced training of some of the key players in the act of terror.</p><p>After a detailed probe, the ATS pieced together the entire modus operandi, but the fact remains that the key conspirators are at large.</p><p>The crowded trains bound for Borivali and Virar were targeted on the Western Railway with orchestrated blasts in gents’ first-class compartments. The commuters mostly include executives, businessmen and persons in employment at various levels in government as well as private establishments besides college students.</p>
<p>Mumbai: Nineteen years after the serial train blasts shook Mumbai, the Bombay High Court acquitted all the accused on Monday.</p><p>Seven blasts in 11 minutes on July 11, 2006 in first-class suburban train compartments of Western Railway route in the evening peak hours left Mumbai rattled - and was one of the worst terrorist attacks in railway infrastructure in the world.</p><p>As many as 187 people were killed and over 900 others were injured in the incident.</p><p>“The prosecution utterly failed in establishing the case beyond reasonable doubts,” said a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising J Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak.</p><p>The statements of the prosecution witness were unreliable, the bench observed.</p>.NCP, Chhava Sanghatna workers clash over Maharashtra minister Kokate's mobile 'game' video.<p>Those convicted by the trial court include Kamal Ahamed Ansari, Tanvir Ahmed Ansari, Mohd Faisal Shaikh, Ehtesham Siddiqui, Mohammad Majid Shafi, Shaikh Alam Shaikh, Mohd Sajid Ansari, Muzzammil Shaikh, Soheil Mehmood Shaikh (43), Zamir Ahmad Shaikh, Naveed Hussain Khan and Asif Khan.</p><p>The accused were booked under Indian Penal Code, Explosives Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Indian Railway Act and those under MCOCA.</p><p>On September 11, 2015, as many as 12 of the 13 accused were convicted by a special court and sentenced while one of them was acquitted.</p><p>Of the 12 convicts, five were awarded capital punishment while the rest of them were given life imprisonment.</p><p>The blasts had taken place in running locals between stations at Khar Road-Santacruz, Bandra-Khar Road, Jogeshwari-Mahim Junction, Mira Road- Bhayander, Matunga-Mahim Junction and at Borivali.</p><p>The main planner and conspirator was Azam Cheema alias Babaji, the Bahawalpur-based LeT commander who doubles up as an ISI operative – a wanted accused in the case. He started planning several years ago and commenced training of some of the key players in the act of terror.</p><p>After a detailed probe, the ATS pieced together the entire modus operandi, but the fact remains that the key conspirators are at large.</p><p>The crowded trains bound for Borivali and Virar were targeted on the Western Railway with orchestrated blasts in gents’ first-class compartments. The commuters mostly include executives, businessmen and persons in employment at various levels in government as well as private establishments besides college students.</p>