Mumbai : Dr. Tanvir Ansari, a Mumbai-based physician recently acquitted in the 2006 Mumbai train blast case, has spoken out, saying the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) destroyed his life and denied him true justice.
After spending nearly 19 years in prison, Dr. Ansari was released following a Bombay High Court ruling that overturned the convictions of all 12 accused. The court found major flaws in the ATS investigation, including lack of solid evidence, forced confessions, and procedural lapses.
Arrested in 2006 while working at his hospital, Dr. Ansari said he was tortured in custody and pressured to falsely confess. “I was arrested without reason, my apron was torn off, I was offered bribes and faced threats when I refused to lie,” he said.
During his time in jail, he missed the birth and upbringing of his daughter and wasn’t allowed to attend his mother’s funeral. Despite the trauma, he pursued education behind bars and served in the prison hospital.
Calling the acquittal bittersweet, Dr. Ansari said, “The real perpetrators are still free. We lost everything our families, careers, and dignity and justice came too late.”
The High Court’s 671-page verdict harshly criticized the ATS for mishandling the case, leading to wrongful convictions and the loss of precious years for the accused.
