The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the decision of the Bombay High Court acquitting all the accused in the July 2006 serial train blasts in Mumbai. The Apex Court, however, did not stay the release of the accused in the case. The High Court had acquitted 11 out of the 12 accused in the case, who have been released from jail. One of the 12 accused died in Nagpur Jail in 2021. Five of the accused were awarded capital punishment and seven life imprisonment by the Sessions Court. The decision of the Sessions Court was reversed by the Bombay High Court on July 21. The State Government immediately moved the Supreme Court against the HC order, and obtained a stay on it.
The High Court acquitted the 12 accused for want of adequate evidence to prove them guilty. The SC judges Justice M M Sundaresh and Justice N Koteshwar Sinh on Thursday stayed the Bombay High Court Decision. The Apex Court Bench said, “As the accused were released from the jail as per the HC order, the question of bringing them back to the jail does not arise. The stay to the HC decision has been granted with a restricted effect”.
Maharashtra’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the HIC decision could impact other cases registered under the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act). He appealed for a stay on the HC decision, which could affect the other cases under MCOCA, and is not against the freedom of the accused.
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