Man acquitted in 2006 Mumbai train blasts case seeks Rs 9 crore for wrongful incarceration

Wahid Shaikh, who was acquitted in 2015 by a trial court in the 2006 Mumbai local train blasts case, has demanded Rs 9 crore as compensation for the nine years he spent wrongfully imprisoned and alleged custodial torture.

In an open letter, Shaikh said on Friday that he was demanding compensation as recognition of the “grave injustice” inflicted on him and his family, and as a step towards accountability.

“I walked out of prison, but the years I lost, the humiliation I faced, and the pain my family endured can never be undone,” he said.

Shaikh alleged that he faced custodial torture, which left him with “lasting health issues”, including glaucoma and chronic pain.

“My father died while I was in prison, my mother’s mental health collapsed, and my wife was forced to struggle alone to raise our children,” he added.

He said his “career and education were ruined” and that he is in debt of nearly Rs 30 lakh.

Shaikh said that the government did not challenge his acquittal because it “did not have any evidence” against him.

He added that he had not demanded compensation so far out of concern for others accused in the case, many of whom were convicted and sentenced to death or life imprisonment, but later acquitted.

“I feared that...

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