Saturday, June 11 2005 19:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government today (Jun 11, 2005) said it would move the Bombay High Court to challenge the acquittal of eight accused in the December 2002 Ghatkopar bomb blast by a POTA court in Mumbai. Public Prosecutor Rohini Salian told sources in Mumbai that the Government was waiting for a copy of the judgement. "Once we get the copy, we will study it and then go in for appeal," she said.

Investigating officer Arun Borude told sources in Mumbai that the police would discuss with the public prosecutor before deciding upon the future course of action.

The POTA court acquitted all eight accused giving them benefit of doubt, while pulling up the police for not been able to trace another accused Khwaja Younus.

Meanwhile, acquitted accused, Dr Abdul Matin, a forensic expert, said he was just picked up by police without giving him any reason.

"After four days (of my detention) I learnt that I was made an accused in the bomb blast case. Even the evidence, the itemised bills of my mobile phone was concocted by police," he told newspersons after the judgement.

Toufiq Hamid, another accused, claimed that he was falsely implicated. "I only know English and Tamil. I can't even understand a word of Hindi, and the police had produced my confessional statement in the court, which was in Hindi," he told sources in Mumbai.

To a question, most of the acquitted persons said they would discuss with their lawyers as to whether it would be proper for them to seek compensation from the State for being falsely implicated in the blast case.