New Delhi, July 24, 2025 — The Supreme Court of India has issued a stay on the Bombay High Court’s recent decision to acquit 12 men previously convicted in the 2006 Mumbai suburban train bombings. The apex court, however, clarified that the accused will not need to return to jail while the legal process continues.

The move comes days after the Maharashtra government filed a challenge against the High Court’s ruling, expressing serious concern over the acquittal of all 12 individuals who had been found guilty nearly a decade earlier. The Supreme Court agreed to examine the appeal and put the acquittal order on hold until further notice.

Background of the Case

On July 11, 2006, a series of coordinated bomb blasts targeted local trains on Mumbai’s Western Railway line during evening rush hour. The attacks resulted in the deaths of around 190 people and left over 800 injured. It was one of the deadliest terror strikes in India’s history.

In 2015, a special court convicted 12 men under anti-terror laws, sentencing five to death and the remaining to life imprisonment. However, the Bombay High Court overturned these convictions in July 2025, citing weak and unreliable evidence, inconsistencies in witness testimonies, and procedural lapses in the investigation.

Supreme Court’s Intervention

Responding to the state’s petition, the Supreme Court noted the seriousness of the matter and temporarily suspended the High Court’s decision. The court stated that although the acquittal order is stayed, the accused who had already been released will not be required to surrender at this stage.

Government’s Stand

The Maharashtra government described the High Court’s judgment as deeply concerning, arguing that the earlier trial had followed due process and that crucial evidence—such as confessions and material recovered—was improperly dismissed. The government urged the Supreme Court to uphold the original convictions in the interest of justice for the victims and their families.

What Lies Ahead

The Supreme Court is expected to conduct a detailed review of the High Court’s findings and the prosecution’s evidence. The final verdict could have a significant impact on how terrorism-related cases are investigated and prosecuted in the future, especially with respect to the handling of confessional statements, forensic evidence, and procedural safeguards.

The case continues to be a matter of national attention due to its historical gravity and implications for the justice system. Families of the victims, legal experts, and civil rights advocates are all watching closely as the country’s top court re-evaluates one of India’s most complex terror cases.

New Delhi: The Gujarat portion of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project between Vapi and Sabarmati is planned to be completed by December 2027, while the entire 508 km project is expected to be completed by December 2029, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday.

However, the bullet train project is a very complex and technology-intensive and the exact timelines for its completion can only be reasonably ascertained after the completion of all associated works of civil structures, track, electrical, signalling & telecommunication and supply of trainsets, the minister added.

MAHSR is under execution with technical and financial assistance from the Japanese government. The project is passing through Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli with 12 stations planned at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati, the minister said.

A cumulative financial expenditure of Rs 78,839 crore has been incurred on the project till June 30, 2025, he said.

The total estimated cost of the MAHSR project is approximately Rs 1,08,000 crore, out of which Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding 81 per cent of the project cost which works out to Rs 88,000 crore while the balance 19 per cent cost amounting to Rs 20,000 crore will be funded through equity contribution from Ministry of Railways (50 per cent) and Maharashtra and Gujarat state governments (25 per cent each).

The delay in land acquisition in Maharashtra impacted the project till 2021. However, currently, the entire land (1389.5 hectares) for the MAHSR project has been acquired. The Final Location Survey and Geotechnical investigation has also been completed, and alignment finalised. All Statutory Clearances relating to wildlife, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and Forest clearance have been obtained, and all the civil contracts of the project have been awarded, Vaishnaw said.

Till now, 392 km of pier construction, 329 km of girder casting and 308 km of girder launching have been completed. The work on the undersea tunnel (21 km approx.) has also started. In order to expand the high-speed rail (HSR) network in India beyond the MAHSR corridor and to meet the growing passenger demand between major cities of commercial and tourist importance, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being prepared by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), he added.

HSR projects are highly capital-intensive, and any decision to take up a new project is based on many factors such as technical feasibility, financial & economic viability, traffic demand and availability of funds & financing options. The commercial operation of the MAHSR project involves an affordable fare structure for the services, taking into account the socio-economic conditions of the clientele for optimum patronage of the HSR sectors, the minister added.

In recent days, incidents of sexual assault on minors or students by teachers in Mumbai have been increasing, which is a serious issue in society. A private tutor in Malad sexually abused a 7-year-old girl. The Dindoshi police have arrested the accused, a 44-year-old teacher from Goregaon who provided private tutoring to young girls at home. The victim, who lived in the same building, had been attending his tutoring sessions since August 2024. The accused lured her into his bedroom under the pretext of showing her games on his mobile and exploited her innocence to sexually abuse her.

After noticing behavioural changes in their daughter, the parents questioned her, and she revealed the horrific abuse. The teacher had been assaulting her for nearly a year, from August 2024 to July 9, 2025. On July 9, a 22-year-old karate instructor, who taught children, was arrested by the Shivaji Park police for sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl. On June 25, a 50-year-old teacher from a reputed coaching class in Bhayander was found to have sexually abused a 17-year-old FY BA student between October and November 2024.

In November 2024, Amit Dubey, 50, a school teacher in Nalasopara’s Santosh Bhuvan area, was accused of raping a 14-year-old student in his private class from October to November 2024. On July 3, 2025, a 40-year-old female teacher from a prestigious Dadar school was arrested for sexually abusing a 16-year-old student over several months, including taking him to a five-star hotel. There are several unreported incidents as well. 

Statement Of Uma Subramanian

Uma Subramanian, Co-founder and Director RATI Foundation & Child’s Rights Activist, stated, “I would not say the incidents are increasing, but they are now coming to light more frequently. The media is reporting them more prominently. People are shocked because these cases involve prestigious schools.”

She added, “Schools often scrutinise peons, drivers, and caretakers for character verification, but fail to check the backgrounds of teachers. This reflects a class and caste bias. When such cases arise, schools often deflect responsibility, claiming the incidents happened outside school premises or that parents are unwilling to file complaints. While every school has a child protection policy, most children and parents remain unaware of it. Schools may conduct awareness sessions but avoid taking legal action, shifting the burden onto parents. few come forward to file cases.”

“Section 19 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act mandates reporting offences against children. However, many cases go unreported because the legal process is traumatic for victims and their families. Filing an FIR takes 8-10 hours, medical examinations could span over days… frequent police station visits are required, and the judicial process is tiring. As a result, no one wants to go through the process, definitely not the big schools or the elite privileged folks. The law is robust and child-friendly on paper, but most systems are not. Also, the elite in India can get away more easily with anything, isn’t it?,” the activist said.

Psychologist Lisha Chedda’s Statement

Psychologist Lisha Chedda stated, “Usually, in such incidents, the accused follows a certain process called grooming. They spend time with the child, gain their trust, build rapport, and then abuse them. Two things severely impact the child mentally: their trust is broken, and they are left terrified. Often, people don’t believe the child after they disclose abuse, which further violates their trust. Sometimes, gender bias also comes into play—people may think, ‘If the victim is a boy, what could have happened to him?’ This is wrong. Abuse is abuse; it is sexual violence. The child may become traumatised and feel deep shame, which can be internalised.Chedda added, “Everybody has a stress response system: fight, flight, freeze, flop or fawn. These are natural reactions. Studies show that in sexual assault cases, most victims freeze. The child becomes extremely scared and often freezes. First of all, no one immediately believes the child. They keep questioning why the child didn’t scream or run away. The child’s response is not taken seriously.

The kind of response they receive from the adults around them affects their lifelong trauma. If the child receives mental health support, along with parental and school support, the impact on them can be much less severe.”

Advocate Persis Sidhva’s Statement

Advocate Persis Sidhva, stated, “The courts generally take these cases seriously. Parents send their children to school believing it to be a safe place. Schools must have and strictly implement a child protection policy. These policies shouldn’t exist just on paper – they need to be actively enforced. Parents need to be aware of the POCSO Act and that it mandates strict punishments, especially when teachers are the accused, as these cases constitute aggravated offences with harsher punishments.”

“In court, we often see that schools either lack commitment or frequently side with the accused to protect the institution’s reputation. This fear leads them to support the perpetrator, leaving children and their families without proper support. In most cases, schools fail to create an environment where the child and family feel comfortable continuing their education there. This often results in a significant loss for the child-first they suffer abuse, then they’re forced to change schools, while parents must deal with numerous additional challenges, including a legal case.” Advocate Sidhva added.