The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Munib Memon, a 42-year-old tailor, who had been in custody for nearly 11 and a half years for his alleged involvement in the serial bomb blasts that rocked the state in August 2012. The blasts were reportedly a retaliatory act following the custodial death of a terrorist from the banned Indian Mujahideen group.
Delays and Key Reason for Bail
The bench, comprising Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sharmila Deshmukh, ruled in favor of Memon’s bail due to the unusually long duration of his custody and the slow progress of the trial. Memon was arrested in December 2012, and despite the serious nature of the charges, the trial has yet to reach a conclusion. The court pointed out that the formal charges were only framed in 2022, a full decade after the incident, and the first witness was not called to testify until February 2024. The court stressed that Memon’s prolonged detention without any indication of when the trial might conclude was a violation of his fundamental right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
Background of the Case
In its ruling, the court noted that the prosecution had initially listed 300 witnesses, but plans to examine only 107 of them. To date, only eight witnesses have been heard, further delaying the proceedings. The judges remarked that this slow pace made it unlikely that the trial would be completed in the near future, reinforcing the decision to grant bail. The bomb blasts in question took place on August 1, 2012, when five bombs exploded in a crowded business district of the city. A sixth live bomb was discovered shortly after the explosions. According to the prosecution, the bombs were hidden in baskets placed on bicycles stationed at the blast sites. These attacks were reportedly planned as retaliation for the death of Quatil Siddique, a member of the Indian Mujahideen, who had been arrested for plotting to bomb the famous Dagadu Sheth Ganpati Mandir.
Previous Bail
The prosecution has alleged that Memon played a crucial role in the conspiracy. The court noted that he had attended two meetings where the bomb plot was discussed and had also purchased SIM cards using fake documents, which were later used to execute the bombings. Although the confessional statements of Memon's co-accused implicated him in the crime, the trial’s slow progress left the court with no choice but to grant bail. In 2022, Memon’s initial bail plea had been denied by the same court, which stated there was insufficient evidence to support his innocence or dismiss the charges against him. However, the recent decision to grant bail was influenced by the excessive time Memon has spent in custody and the lack of momentum in the trial.
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