Mumbai 2006 blasts: Supreme Court stays Bombay High Court's acquittal order of 12 convicts
PTC News Desk: The Supreme Court on Thursday paused the Bombay High Court's order acquitting all the 12 convicts in 2006 Mumbai blasts case that killed 189 people. However the top court also said that all the 12 will not be re-arrested.
A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh observed that the high court order shall not be treated as a precedent while issuing notice to all the accused the case.
The observation came as the top court was hearing petition filed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) challenging the Bombay High Court's order acquitting all the 12 convicts in the case.
The court, however, did not stay the release of the accused from prison.
On July 11, 2006, a series of bomb blasts ripped through the Mumbai local train coaches killing 189 people and injuring over 800.
Representing Maharashtra ATS, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, "I am seeking stay, not to bring them back to jail. Certain findings of laws will affect the MCOCA trial. May consider saying they may not be required in jail."
Earlier in the week, the Bombay High Court had overturned the 2009 trial court ruling, which had sentenced five individuals (one of whom has since passed away) to death and seven others to life imprisonment for their alleged roles in the coordinated bomb blasts on Mumbai's Western Railway local line on July 11, 2006. The bench observed that the prosecution "utterly failed to establish offences beyond reasonable doubt" against the accused.
- PTC NEWS
