Maharashtra govt to challenge HC's acquittal in train blasts case

The Maharashtra government will challenge the Bombay High Court’s acquittal of 12 accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the court's verdict as "shocking" and confirmed that the state will move the Supreme Court against it. "I will go through the entire order. I have discussed it with the lawyers, and the high court verdict will be challenged in the Supreme Court," Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai on Monday.
The Bombay high court on Monday acquitted all 12 accused of planning and executing a series of coordinated blasts on Mumbai’s suburban trains, which claimed the lives of over 180 people.The High Court came down heavily on the prosecution and said that the prosecution had failed to even bring on record the type of bombs used in the crime, which had claimed over 180 lives on July 11, 2006 and that the evidence relied on by it was not conclusive to convict the accused. The bench rejected the state's plea seeking confirmation of the death penalty for five of the 12 accused and dismissed the confirmation appeals filed by the Maharashtra government.The investigation in the case was led by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).The bench questioned the credibility of the witnesses, saying they did not have “enough opportunity” to see the accused on the day of the blasts.