7/11 Mumbai Train Blasts Acquitted Accused Dr Wahid Shaikh Seeks ₹9 Crore Compensation For Wrongful Imprisonment

Mumbai: Dr. Wahid Deen Mohammad Shaikh, the only accused acquitted in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case, has sought Rs 9 crore as compensation for the nine years he spent in prison before being cleared of all charges in 2015.

Shaikh, who was 28 at the time of his arrest in 2006, was booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in connection with the coordinated serial blasts that killed 189 people.

Acquitted in 7/11 Blasts Case, Seeks Justice

In a press note, Shaikh said he endured custodial torture, wrongful imprisonment, and irreparable personal losses during those years.

“I lost the most important years of my youth, my liberty, and my dignity. My father died while I was in prison, my mother’s mental health collapsed, and my children grew up with the stigma of being called ‘a terrorist’s children’,” he said.

He added that his family continues to face financial distress, with debts of nearly Rs 30 lakh, while he suffers from chronic health issues, including glaucoma, caused by alleged custodial torture.

Seeking Compensation After Co-Accused Acquittals

Shaikh explained that he did not seek compensation immediately after his acquittal out of concern for his co-accused, many of whom were convicted and sentenced to death or life imprisonment. With their recent acquittals, he said, it is now clear that the entire case was “a forgery.”

Citing the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision to award Rs 50 lakh to former ISRO scientist Dr. Nambi Narayanan for wrongful arrest, Shaikh argued that his nine-year incarceration deserved a far greater compensation.

“No money can return the nine years I lost. But compensation is a way of acknowledging that what happened to me was wrong, and ensuring that no other innocent person suffers the way I did,” he said.

Shaikh has already approached the National Human Rights Commission, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission, the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, and the National Minorities Commission with his demand.

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Acquitted 7/11 Mumbai Train Blasts Accused Wahid Shaikh Reveals Jail Torture & Justice Fight; Mulls To Seek ₹1 Crore For Each Prison Year

The July 11, 2006, serial train blasts in Mumbai killed 189 people and injured over 800. Twenty people were arrested in the case, with 12 eventually convicted and sentenced in 2015. Shaikh was the only accused acquitted by the special court.

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