MUMBAI, By Tamsil Shahezad Khan -In a stunning reversal, the Bombay High Court this week acquitted all 12 men convicted for the July 11, 2006, serial train bombings that killed 187 people and wounded over 800. The verdict marks a monumental victory for the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind's legal cell, a small, determined group that has worked for nearly two decades to provide free legal aid to Muslims it believes are falsely implicated in terror cases.
Operating from a modest 700-square-foot office in Mumbai's congested Bhendi Bazar, the legal cell has achieved one of its most significant successes. The High Court, in setting aside a 2015 special MCOCA court ruling, stated the prosecution had "utterly failed" to prove the men's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The original verdict had sentenced five of the men to death and seven to life imprisonment.
Despite the acquittal, the mood at the Jamiat office is one of sober relief, not celebration. "We are relieved that there is justice for those who were wrongly implicated," said Shahid Nadeem, the legal advisor for the Jamiat's legal cell. "But there is no justice for the victims as yet. We still don’t know who committed this heinous crime."
This sentiment was echoed by Maulana Haleem Ullah Qasmi, General Secretary of the Jamiat's Maharashtra wing, who called for systemic changes. "The investigating agencies should be made accountable. Instead of working hard to find the real culprits, the government has now appealed to the Supreme Court," he stated, emphasizing that true justice remains elusive until the actual perpetrators are brought to book.
The legal aid cell was galvanized into its current form in 2006 at the behest of the late human rights lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was murdered in 2010. Azmi believed that innocent daily wage laborers were being framed for the train blasts and urged the Jamiat to intervene. Under the national leadership of Maulana Arshad Madani, the organization shifted its focus to defending impoverished Muslims caught in the web of anti-terror laws.
The cell's impact extends far beyond this single case. Over the past 19 years, it has provided free legal aid to approximately 500 individuals, securing the release of 318 accused in 75 different cases nationwide, including the Akshardham temple attack and the 2006 Malegaon blasts. "So far, 227 accused have got bail in 52 cases across India," Nadeem noted.
The Jamiat maintains a stringent selection process, verifying the antecedents of each applicant and reviewing charge sheets to ensure they are providing aid only to those they believe are genuinely innocent and in need.
While the Supreme Court has stayed the High Court's judgment from being used as a precedent in other cases, the acquittal of the 12 men stands. In a testament to the ongoing legal battle, six of the newly freed men have already requested the Jamiat's assistance for the upcoming hearings in the nation's highest court.
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