New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has strongly criticized the Maharashtra government’s decision to appeal the Bombay High Court’s recent acquittal of all 12 accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case. JIH Vice President Malik Moatasim Khan welcomed the High Court’s verdict and demanded that the state government focus on compensating the wrongly accused and identifying the actual perpetrators of the deadly blasts.
The Bombay High Court, on July 21, 2025, overturned the convictions made in 2015, citing glaring loopholes in the investigation and inconclusive evidence presented by the prosecution. The court also highlighted the use of coerced confessions and the failure of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to establish even basic facts such as the nature of the explosives used in the attacks.
Speaking to the media, Malik Moatasim Khan stated, “We welcome the Bombay High Court’s judgment, which exposes severe flaws in our investigative and judicial systems. These 12 individuals endured nearly two decades of wrongful imprisonment, torture, and social stigma. It is disgraceful that instead of offering them compensation and an apology, the Maharashtra government has chosen to appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court.”
Khan condemned the ATS for its role in what he described as a “collective failure” of the criminal justice system. “The prosecution relied on questionable witness statements and tampered evidence, which the High Court found unreliable. This injustice has caused irreparable harm to the accused and their families,” he said.
Referring to the 7/11 blasts that claimed 189 lives and injured over 800 people, Khan emphasized the need for real justice. “Nineteen years on, the families of the victims still await closure. The High Court’s 671-page judgment clearly shows that the actual culprits have not been brought to justice. The government must now launch a fresh, unbiased investigation rather than wasting public resources on appealing a well-reasoned verdict.”
Calling for systemic reforms in the investigation of terror cases, Khan demanded accountability and compensation for the acquitted. “This is not just about one case—it is about a deeply broken system that risks repeating such grave errors. We need urgent reforms to prevent further miscarriages of justice.”
The statement was issued by Salman Ahmad, National Assistant Secretary of the Media Department at Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, from the organization’s headquarters in New Delhi.
