7/11 Train Blasts: ATS to Decide Next Steps After Analyzing Bombay HC's Acquittal Verdict

PTI, :July 21, 2025, Mumbai ;  The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) will determine its future course of action after analyzing the Bombay High Court's verdict, which acquitted all 12 accused in the 7/11 Mumbai train bomb blasts case, and consulting with the special public prosecutor.

Nineteen years after seven train blasts in Mumbai killed more than 180 people, the High Court on Monday acquitted all 12 accused, stating that the prosecution "utterly failed" to prove the case and that it was "hard to believe the accused committed the crime."

The judgment has come as a major embarrassment to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which had investigated the case. The agency had previously claimed that the accused were members of the banned outfit Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and had conspired with Pakistani members of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The ATS further stated that the special MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act) court had sentenced five of the accused to death and handed life imprisonment to seven others in its verdict on September 30, 2015. However, another accused was acquitted in the July 11, 2006, serial train blasts case.

In response to the High Court ruling, the ATS mentioned that Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Raja Thakare and Special Public Prosecutor Chimalkar had argued for the state in the High Court over the appeals regarding the confirmation of the death penalty and life sentence. The matter was heard from July 2024 to January 27, 2025, during which both the prosecution and defense completed their respective arguments.

The High Court rejected the death sentence for the five accused and acquitted the seven convicted individuals by accepting their appeal, thus cancelling the MCOCA court's previous ruling.

Following the judgment, the ATS stated that it would now consult with the special public prosecutor and carefully analyze the High Court's ruling before deciding on the next steps in the case.