Today, On, 24th July, The Supreme Court stayed the Bombay High Court acquittal order in the 7/11 Mumbai blasts case, saying, “No question of bringing the accused back to prison,” but clarified the judgment will not be treated as a precedent.
The Supreme Court has stayed the Bombay High Court’s recent order that allowed the release of all 12 accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts (7/11). T
A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh clarified that the stay pertains to the observations made in the judgment and that these would not be regarded as a precedent.
The bench remarked,
“We have been informed that all the respondents have been released and there is no question of bringing them back to the prison. However, taking note of the submission made by the SG on the question of law, we are inclined to hold that the impugned judgment shall not be treated as a precedent. To that extent, there is a stay of the impugned judgment.”
After Solicitor General Tushar Mehta indicated that the state was seeking a stay on the order not to return the convicts to jail, but due to certain findings from the High Court that could impact all MCOCA trials. The court stated,
“We will issue notice… and we will stay the judgment; it cannot be read as a precedent,”
The court also expressed concerns regarding some of the accused being Pakistani nationals and the possibility of them absconding after their release from jail. On July 22, the SG had informed a bench led by CJI Gavai about the Special Leave Petition filed before the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court’s ruling.
Earlier, on 22nd July, The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Maharashtra government’s plea on July 24 regarding the Bombay High Court’s decision to acquit all 12 individuals accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bomb blasts case.
The case was pending in the High Court for almost a decade, but it was expedited during 2024–2025, with hearings conducted on a daily basis.
The Bombay High Court had acquitted all 12 accused on Monday, stating that the prosecution had “utterly failed to establish the offence beyond reasonable doubt” and it was “hard to believe the accused committed the crime.”
The seven train blasts resulted in the deaths of over 180 people.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday that he was shocked by the Bombay High Court’s decision to acquit 12 people in the 2006 Mumbai blasts case.
He also said that the state government will challenge this verdict in the Supreme Court.
Earlier in the day, one of the acquitted, Mohammed Sajid Ansari, claimed he had been framed by the Mumbai Police from the outset and asserted his innocence.
On Monday, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 individuals who had been convicted by a trial court for their alleged involvement in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts.
This pivotal ruling came after 19 years, with a special bench of the Bombay High Court determining that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient for conviction.
The court subsequently ordered the immediate release of all the accused.
On the evening of July 11, 2006, bomb blasts occurred at seven different locations on Mumbai local trains within a span of just 11 minutes. The attacks resulted in 189 fatalities and over 827 injuries.
The bombs were placed in first-class compartments of trains departing from Churchgate, detonating near the stations of Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar, and Borivali.
A trial court had convicted 12 individuals in connection with the blasts in 2015.
Case Title: The State of Maharashtra v. Kamal Ahmed Mohd. Vakil Ansari and Ors.
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