New Delhi, 24 July (H.S.): The Supreme Court, on Thurday stayed the July 21 judgment by the Bombay High Court that acquitted 12 men involved in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts. However, the court did not order their re-incarceration. This decision was influenced by the Maharashtra government’s apprehensions that the acquittal might affect ongoing trials related to the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh requested replies from the acquitted individuals regarding the state's appeal and indicated that the High Court's ruling should not set a legal precedent. The Bombay High Court had previously quashed the MCOCA special court's order, which sentenced five individuals to death and seven others to life imprisonment for the train blasts, where 189 people died and approximately 820 were injured on July 11, 2006.

The 12 men were granted release following the High Court's verdict that overturned the MCOCA court’s decisions. The Maharashtra government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, deemed the High Court’s ruling as very unfortunate and sought the Supreme Court's intervention. While Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Maharashtra, did not request the re-arrest of the acquitted men, he sought a stay on the July 21 judgment to protect other ongoing MCOCA trials from its implications.

The Supreme Court accepted the argument, asserting that the Bombay High Court's ruling will have no precedential effect until further notice, effectively allowing the 12 men to remain free without returning to prison. The Court confirmed awareness of their release and ruled that it was unnecessary to order their return to custody.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar