Mumbai Train Blasts: Timed Explosions Caused Carnage Across Suburban Network; Five Sentenced to Death

The 2006 Mumbai train blasts were so devastating that the powerful explosions tore through the double-layered steel roofs and sides of seven train compartments, hurling passengers—dead and injured—out of the coaches.

The impact was so severe that even bystanders on platforms and passengers aboard oncoming trains at Mahim and Borivali stations were among the casualties.

The blasts occurred in quick succession during the busy evening rush hour. Explosions at Mahim, Bandra, and Mira Road stations were recorded at exactly 6:23 PM, while the final blast struck Borivali at 6:28 PM. The precision and timing of the attacks led investigators to conclude that sophisticated timer devices had been used, designed to maximize chaos and casualties.

The prosecution later argued that the meticulously planned attacks were intended to cause large-scale destruction, incite fear, and disrupt civic life.

On September 30, 2015, a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court delivered its long-awaited verdict. Out of 13 accused:

• Five were sentenced to death:

  • Kamal Ahmed Mohammed Vakil Ansari

  • Mohammed Faisal Ataur Rahman Shaikh

  • Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddique

  • Naveed Hussain Khan Rasheed Hussain Khan

  • Asif Khan Bashir Khan alias Juned alias Abdulla

• Seven others were handed life imprisonment:

  • Tanveer Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Ansari

  • Mohamad Majid Mohamad Shafi

  • Shaikh Mohammed Ali Alam Shaikh

  • Mohammad Sajid Margub Ansari

  • Muzzammil Ataur Rahman Shaikh

  • Suhail Mehmood Shaikh

  • Zameer Ahmed Latifur Rehman Shaikh

• One accused, Abdul Wahid Din Mohammad Shaikh, was acquitted of all charges.

The 2006 blasts remain one of the deadliest terror attacks in Mumbai’s history, claiming 189 lives and injuring over 800 people.