The Bombay High Court granted bail to Kafeel Ahmed Mohammed Ayub, who has been accused of being associated with the Indian Mujahideen and linked to Yasin Bhatkal, in connection with the 2011 Mumbai triple bomb blast case. The decision came after the court stressed that Ayub has been jailed for more than 13 years without the trial reaching a conclusion. The judges highlighted that the prosecution has already examined around 170 witnesses, and roughly 130 more are still waiting to be examined, which signals a significantly delayed legal process.
Ayub, originally from Darbhanga in Bihar, was arrested in 2012 by the Delhi Police Special Cell and subsequently handed over to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad. His arrest was part of the investigation into the coordinated bomb blasts that struck Mumbai on July 13, 2011. The explosions occurred at Opera House, Zaveri Bazaar, and Dadar Kabutarkhana, causing the deaths of 27 people and leaving more than 100 individuals injured. Several other men, including Naqi Shaikh, Nadeem Akhtar Shaikh, Kanwarnain Pathreja, and Haroon Rasheed Naik, were also arrested during the early months of 2012, with Ayub being taken into custody later.
Investigators accused Ayub of being involved in organised extremist activities and working closely with Bhatkal, who has been described as a key figure behind the attack. Authorities claimed that Ayub indoctrinated young people, provided shelter to other suspects, and offered support both before and after the blast. The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was also invoked by the ATS as part of the case to emphasise organised criminal elements.
During the bail hearing, Advocate Mubin Solkar, who represented Ayub, contended that the prosecution’s allegations do not place Ayub directly in the planning or execution of the blasts. Instead, at most, the lawyer argued, his client could be accused only of providing shelter to some of the other suspects. Solkar added that even the confession attributed to Yasin Bhatkal did not contain material directly linking Ayub to the bombing conspiracy beyond acknowledging that they knew each other.
The bench, consisting of Justices AS Gadkari and RR Bhonsale, pointed out that prolonged incarceration without timely progress in the trial cannot be justified. Referring to Supreme Court rulings on delays and extended custody, the High Court concluded that Ayub was entitled to bail.
However, the order does not automatically lead to Ayub’s release. He will stay in custody because he still has another pending case filed by the Delhi Police Special Cell, in which he has not yet received bail.
