'Will challenge in SC': Fadnavis shocked over HC decision on Mumbai blasts

Expressing shock over Bombay High Court's decision to acquit 12 accused of 2006 Mumbai blasts, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced that the state government will challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.

"The verdict of the Bombay High Court is very shocking and we will challenge it in the Supreme Court", CM Fadnavis told reporters.

Earlier today, one of the acquittees, Mohammed Sajid Ansari, said that he was being framed by Mumbai Police from the beginning and that he was "innocent".

Ansari pointed out that the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) created a false narrative about the matter, and all the confessions were extracted by torturing them. He stated that 19 years of his life have been lost, due to which his family has suffered.

"I have been saying this from the beginning that I am innocent. Police have framed a false case against us. All 13 people who were arrested are innocent. ATS has circulated a false narrative. All our confessions were taken after torturing us. Today, the Bombay High Court has finally pronounced that we are innocent. 19 years of my life have been lost. My daughter and wife have gone through a lot," Ansari told ANI.

Meanwhile, one of the brothers of the acquittees, Sarifur Rehman, said that his brother Zamir Ahmed has been acquitted after 19 years, and during this period, his family has faced a lot of hardships.

Rehman said that his brother is currently in Amravati jail, and following the High Court's decision, there is happiness in his family.

"My brother Zamir Ahmad has been acquitted after 19 years. For the past 19 years, we have faced hardships in court. But today, by the grace of God, we received relief from the high court as my brother was honourably acquitted. We have been saying for 19 years that he is innocent and was falsely implicated. He is currently in Amravati Jail, and everyone at my house is very happy that my brother will be returning soon," Rehman said.

On Monday, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 accused who had been convicted by the trial court for their alleged roles in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts.

This important verdict came after 19 years. A special bench of the Bombay High Court ruled that the evidence relied on by the prosecution was not conclusive to convict the accused persons. The court then ordered the immediate release of all the accused.

On the evening of July 11, 2006, bomb blasts took place at seven different places in the Mumbai local trains within just 11 minutes. In this incident, 189 people died, while more than 827 passengers were injured.

The bombs were placed in first-class compartments of trains from Churchgate. They exploded near the stations of Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar and Borivali. A trial court in 2015 convicted 12 people in the blasts' case.