The Ahmedabad Sessions Court has acquitted the three accused in the 2006 Kalupur station blast case over lack of evidence. The Court came down heavily on the probing officials over their inability to produce worthwhile evidence against the accused.

Hearing the case, the Court acquitted Haji Mohammad Altaf Sarad, alias Mohammed Aslam, along with Mohammad Amir Shakilahmed Shaikh and Saiyad Aaqib Saiyad Jakaruddin.

The Court critically observed the shortcomings in the police investigation and remarked, “Considering the testimony of the investigating officer in this case, no details have been provided to clarify how the accused are involved in this crime. Only formal details have been provided, based on which it is difficult to link the accused to the charges of the case. The investigating officer could not clarify in his testimony or present any evidence regarding what kind of evidence was obtained against the accused.”

The court further observed, “The police have not gone to the Pakistan Embassy in Delhi to probe the possible links of this case with Lashkar-e-Taiba or the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan.”

It also mentioned, “No official of the organisations mentioned in the charge sheet has been investigated or their statements taken. No correspondence has been done anywhere regarding the existence of such organisations. Thus, even the testimony of the investigating officer itself is not helpful to the prosecution in linking the crime and the criminal.”

The Court, therefore, observed that the accused were not involved in the collusion of this bomb blast under the circumstances presented before it. In its ruling, it also found that the statements of any witness in this case don’t prove the accused’s involvement.

The bomb blast, which occurred in the wee hours of February 18, 2006, jolted the entire city to its core.

A bustling Kalupur Railway Station was subjected to a terrific explosion at 1.15 am, which coincided with the departure of the Bandra-Bikaner Express.

The blast was registered at a telephone booth on platform numbers 2 and 3. This incident left more than 15 people injured.