Wed Nov 19 03:51:43 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:
Summary:
The Allahabad High Court overturned the conviction of Mohammad Ilyas in the 1996 Modinagar-Ghaziabad bus bomb blast case, citing a lack of sufficient evidence and the inadmissibility of a confession allegedly made to police. The court acknowledged the severity of the attack, which killed 18 people, but ruled that the prosecution failed to prove Ilyas’ involvement in the conspiracy. The key piece of evidence, an audio recording of Ilyas’ confession, was deemed inadmissible under Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act, as it was made to a police officer. Witnesses to an alleged extrajudicial confession also turned hostile. The blast, which occurred in April 1996, was attributed to RDX placed on the bus. Ilyas was previously convicted by a trial court along with Abdul Mateen (a Pakistani national) but the Allahabad court acquitted him.
News Article:
Allahabad High Court Overturns Conviction in 1996 Bus Bombing, Citing Lack of Evidence
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh – November 19, 2025 – The Allahabad High Court has acquitted Mohammad Ilyas in the 1996 Modinagar-Ghaziabad bus bombing case, citing insufficient evidence presented by the prosecution. The bombing, which occurred on April 27, 1996, killed 18 people and injured dozens more, sparking widespread outrage at the time.
A two-judge bench, comprised of Justice Siddharth and Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra, overturned the trial court’s conviction, stating that the prosecution “miserably failed” to prove Ilyas’s involvement in the conspiracy to plant the bomb.
The court’s decision hinged on the inadmissibility of key evidence: an audio recording of what was purported to be Ilyas’s confession to police. Citing Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act, the court ruled that confessions made to police officers are not admissible as evidence. The court further noted that witnesses to an alleged extrajudicial confession turned hostile during the trial, failing to support the prosecution’s case.
“The court is passing the order of acquittal with a heavy heart,” the bench stated in its November 10th order, acknowledging the horrific nature of the attack. “However, without admissible evidence linking the appellant to the crime, the conviction cannot stand.”
The 1996 bombing involved a powerful explosion on a bus traveling from Delhi, attributed to RDX placed under a seat. The prosecution alleged that Ilyas conspired with Abdul Mateen, a Pakistani national, to carry out the attack. Ilyas was convicted by a trial court in 2013 along with Abdul Mateen but now been acquitted by the Allahabad Court. The state did not appeal another co-defendant’s 2013 acquittal. It is unclear if Abdul Mateen ever filed an appeal.
The Allahabad High Court’s decision brings an end to Ilyas’s long imprisonment and raises questions about the investigation into the 1996 bombing. The court expressed deep sorrow for the victims and their families.
First Piper 