SC Stalls Acquittal of 2006 Mumbai Bombing Convicts

The Supreme Court has issued a stay on the Bombay High Court’s ruling, which acquitted all twelve individuals connected to the 2006 Mumbai train bombings. This follows a petition by the Maharashtra government, challenging the High Court’s decision. The bombings caused the deaths of 189 people. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state of Maharashtra, requested an urgent hearing before the Supreme Court, highlighting the significance of the case. The High Court’s decision nullified the September 2015 judgment from a special court established under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). That earlier ruling had sentenced five individuals to death and seven to life imprisonment. The accused individuals have spent about 18 years in jail. While one person was acquitted by the special court, the state did not challenge that acquittal in the High Court.