The family and community members of Kamal Ahmad Vakil Ahmad Ansari, who died in 2021 while awaiting justice in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case, gathered at his grave on Sunday. They read aloud the Bombay High Court judgment that cleared him of all charges. Nineteen years after seven train blasts killed more than 180 persons, the High Court acquitted all 12 accused last month, including Ansari.
The court ruled that the prosecution “utterly failed” to prove the case and said it was “hard to believe the accused committed the crime.”
High Court Judgment Affirmed Ansari’s Innocence
Sadly, Ansari could not witness himself getting free from the accusation of the crime, as he passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic inside Nagpur jail. His burial took place at Jaripatka Muslim Qabristan.
On Sunday, his younger brother, Dr Abdul Wahid Sheikh, general secretary of Innocence Network, and Qari Sabir, president of Jamiat-e-Ulama Nagpur, visited his grave.
They read aloud para 1,486 of the July 21 High Court judgment, declaring his innocence. “Ansari was from Madhubani, Bihar. He ran a small chicken shop, sold vegetables, and worked tirelessly to provide for his five children and wife,” Sheikh said.
False Accusations and Years in Jail
Dr Sheikh said Maharashtra ATS falsely accused Ansari of involvement in the blasts. “He languished in prison for 16 years, his dignity stripped, his family stigmatised, and his pleas unheard,” Sheikh said.
The acquittal came four years after his death, which Sheikh described as a “hollow victory.” Ansari’s family lived with humiliation for years as his children grew up without a father and his wife struggled with stigma. Sheikh said the High Court verdict confirmed what Ansari had always maintained that he was innocent and wrongly branded as a terrorist.
Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
