Kamal Ahmed Ansari, wrongfully imprisoned for about 16 years died in jail in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic
NAGPUR/MUMBAI – At a quiet gathering at Jaripatka Qabrastan here on Sunday, family members and associates of Kamal Ahmed Ansari, acquitted in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts, honoured his memory. Four years after he died in prison, they stood by his grave and read aloud the Bombay High Court judgment that finally cleared his name.
In the 2006 Mumbai train blast case, 12 people were convicted in 2015 by a special MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) court, with five, including Ansari, being given death sentences. On July 21 this year, the Bombay High Court overturned all convictions and acquitted all 12, citing unreliable evidence, questionable witness identification, and flawed confessions. Ansari had passed away in prison during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ansari, a simple man from Madhubani in Bihar, spent about 16 years behind bars, struggling under the weight of a judicial system that moved far too slowly. He ran a small chicken shop and occasionally sold vegetables to support his family before being arrested in 2006.
“Brother’s name is finally cleared by the court, but he is no longer with us,” said his younger brother, Jamal Ahmed, paying respects at his grave. “For us, this verdict feels incomplete.”
Dr Abdul Waheed Sheikh, the only accused acquitted in 2015, stood with the family at the cemetery and spoke about the ordeal: “Kamal was innocent. He spent 16 years in prison, his children grew up without their father, and his wife lived under the gaze of society. Who will account for this pain?”
Ansari’s wife endured immense social stigma throughout his imprisonment. Neighbours and society often judged her, and she had to navigate life with dignity despite constant whispers and criticism.
This case is not just a reflection of one family’s suffering but exposes larger flaws in India’s justice system. The slow wheels of justice meant that an innocent man faced a death sentence and could not live to see his name cleared.
Experts say such instances highlight the urgent need to reform legal procedures, particularly in cases involving Muslims, who are often disproportionately targeted. “When the system punishes the innocent and rewards delay, democracy itself suffers,” noted a legal analyst who requested anonymity.
As the family mourns Kamal’s absence, the high court’s verdict provides a bittersweet closure. It clears his name but cannot undo the years of pain, fear, and social ostracisation that his family endured.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Jamal Ahmed reflected, tears in his eyes. “It should have come earlier. Four years after his death, it is a hollow victory for all of us.”
The acquittal also raises questions about the investigation and prosecutorial conduct in high-profile terror cases, underscoring the urgent need for safeguards to prevent miscarriages of justice in India, especially affecting minority communities.
