Seven serial blasts ripped through Mumbai's suburban railway network at peak hour on July 11, 2006, leaving at least 147 dead and several injured. The death toll rose to 189 later.
The blasts began shortly after 6.20 p.m. when a First Class compartment in a Western Railway suburban train running from Churchgate to Borivali exploded between Khar and Santa Cruz stations. In the next ten minutes, six more explosions occured in Bandra-Khar Road, Jogeshwari-Mahim Junction, Mira Road- Bhayander, Matunga- Mahim Junction and Borivali.
> 12 convicted, 1 acquitted in Mumbai train blasts case
Main conspirators Faisal Sheikh and Asif Khan Bashir Khan alias Junaid among the convicted; accused No. 8, Wahid acquitted.
> Judgment day in Mumbai train blasts case
Many of the accused housed Pakistani terrorists and helped them cross over to India via the India-Nepal and India-Bangladesh borders.
> Pressure cookers were used in blasts: police
Packed with RDX and ammonium nitrate, they were taken in carry bags to the Churchgate station
>Inconsistencies in prosecution case, argues defence
The defence counsel argued IN 2014 that the prosecution arguments indicated inconsistencies at various levels.
Accused and their role
Source: ATS charge sheet
Faisal Shaikh, Mumbai chief, Lashkar-e-Taiba,
-Worked for Azam Cheema, LeT commander in chief, training in Pakistan
-Received arms training in Pakistan.
-On Cheema's orders, Shaikh sent his brother Muzammil, Dr Tanvir
Ansari, Sohail Shaikh, Zameer Shaikh to Pakistan via Tehran
-Helped in getting hawala money for the execution of the 7/11 blasts
through absconding accused Rizwan Daware and his brother, Rahil.
-Key conspirator along with Asif Khan Bashir Khan
-Housed and harboured Pakistani terrorists Salim, Sohail Shaikh, Abdul
Razak, Abu Umed at his residence.
-7/11 conspiracy meetings were held at his Bandra residence
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Planted the bomb which exploded at Jogeshwari station
Asif Khan Bashir Khan alias Junaid, key conspirator
-Housed and harboured Pakistani terrorists at his Mira Road residence
-Procured rexine bags, utensils, ammonium nitrate, detonators
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Planted the bomb which exploded in Borivali station
Mohammed ALI, activist, SIMI
-Received arms training in Pakistan
-Bombs were assembled at his residence
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Majid Mohammed Shafi, Resident, Kolkata
- Helped Pakistani terrorists Sabir, Abu Bakr, Kasam Ali, Ammu Jan,
Ehsanullah, Abu Hasan cross into India through Indo-Bangladesh border
-Ehsanullah brought RDX with him, which were later used in making bombs
Sajid Margub Ansari, activist, SIMI
-Procured timer electric circuitry and other devices for 7/11
-Housed and harboured Pakistani terrorists Aslam and Haifzulla
-Helped in assembling bombs at Mohammed Ali's house
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Kamal Ansari, resident, Madhubani
-Recieved arms training in Pakistan
-Helped Pakistani terrorists Aslam and Hafizullah cross into India
through Indo-Nepal border
Ehteshaam Siddiqui, Mumbai secretary, SIMI
-Harboured Pakistani terrorists Ammu Jan, Sabir, Abu Bakr, Kasam Ali,
Ehsahnullah, Abu Hasan in a Mumbra house rented by Abdul Wahid Din Shaikh
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
-Planted the bomb which exploded at Mira Road station
Zameer Shaikh, activist, SIMI
-Received arms training in Pakistan
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Muzammil Shaikh, Faisal's brother
-This computer engineer received arms training in Pakistan
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Helped in procuring hawala money to execute the 7/11 conspiracy
through absconding accused Rizwan Daware and his brother Rahil
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Sohail Shaikh, activist, SIMI
-Recieved arms and ammunition training in Pakistan
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Dr Tanvir Ansari, activist, SIMI
-Recieved arms training in Pakistan
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Naveed Hussain, Call centre employee from Hyderabad, Faisal's friend
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
-Planted the bomb which exploded at Bandra station.
Abdul Wahid Din Shaikh, activist, SIMI
-Pakistani terrorists Ammu Jan, Sabir, Abu Bakr, Kasam Ali,
Ehsahnullah and Abu Hasan lived in a Mumbra house rented by him
A timeline of events:
11
July, 2006
>Seven RDX bombs rip the first class compartments of Mumbai local trains between Churchgate and Bhayander station in a span of 11 minutes. 189 dead, around 800 injured
21
July, 2006
Police arrest three persons in connection with the blasts.
30
November, 2006
ATS files charge sheet, 13 arrested accused and 15 absconding accused charged under MCOCA
21
June, 2007
7/11 accused move Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of MCOCA. In February 2008, Supreme Court ordered a stay on the trial.
23
September, 2008
Mumbai Crime Branch arrests five IM operatives. Crime branch probe shows IM carried out the bombings, contradicting ATS that Pakistani nationals also planted bombs.
13
February, 2010
Young lawyer Shahid Azmi, who defended some of the accused in 7/11 case, shot dead in his central Mumbai office.
23
April, 2010
Stay on trial vacated, examination of witnesses resume
23
June, 2010
Media barred from entering court conducting trial
30
August, 2013
Yasin Bhatkal, co-founder of IM, >arrested at Indo-Nepal border. Yasin claims the 2006 bombings were done by IM in retaliation to the 2002 riots, raising questions about arrest of 13 accused by ATS
20
August, 2014
7/11 trial concludes and court reserves judgment
11
September, 2015
MCOCA court convicts 12 of the 13 arrested accused in the case.
30
September, 2015
MCOCA court sentences five convicts to death. Seven get life imprisonment.
