The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Bombay High Court’s July 21 verdict acquitting all 12 accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bomb blasts, which killed 189 people and injured over 800. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh issued notices to the accused, seeking their response to the Maharashtra government’s appeal, but clarified that the accused, already released, will not return to prison. The court also ruled that the High Court’s judgment will not set a precedent, citing significant legal concerns raised by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

The Maharashtra government challenged the High Court’s decision, arguing it dismissed critical evidence, like RDX recovery, on “hyper-technical” grounds, such as the lack of a lac seal. The state emphasized compliance with MCOCA procedural safeguards, including sanctions by senior officer Anami Roy, and contested the High Court’s finding that prosecution evidence lacked credibility. The Bombay High Court, led by Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak, had acquitted the accused, citing unreliable witnesses, inadmissible confessions due to alleged torture, and failure to identify the explosives used.

The Maharashtra ATS, which linked the accused to SIMI and Lashkar-e-Taiba, faced a setback with the High Court’s ruling. The Supreme Court’s stay signals a potential re-examination of the case, one of India’s deadliest terror attacks, with a hearing scheduled to address the state’s objections.

Also Read: 2006 Train Blasts: Acquitted Man Demands SIT Probe in his case

Also Read: Bombay High Court Slams "Copy-Paste" Confessions in Shocking Verdict