New Delhi: Two big terror cases related to Mumbai fell in court this month, within ten days of each other.The matter related to the heinous train blasts in Mumbai on July 11, 2006 (also known as “7/11”) saw the 12 accused to-walk-out-of-the-case-abdul-shaikh after 19 years with heavy strictures on the use of torture against the prosecution. 189 people were killed in these blasts. The Bombay high court said the prosecution had “utterly failed” to prove charges. (On July 21, 2025) The bomb blasts in Malegaon, which saw at least six dead, and 100 injured saw the special NIA court case acquit all seven accused, while maintaining that there was “grave suspicion” but not enough proof. The Special NIA Court said there were invalid UAPA sanctions, serious investigative lapses, absence of crucial evidence, and inconclusive forensics (On July 31, 2025)Both reflect a big setback to the prosecution. The state of Maharashtra’s response betrays a stark contrast in the matter of appeal to higher courts in the two cases.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis described the 7/11 train blast acquittals as “very shocking” and told Press Trust of India, “I will go through the entire order. I have discussed with the lawyers, and the high court verdict will be challenged in the Supreme Court.”The appeal was made to the Supreme Court within a day and the apex court decreed that remarks made in the order could not be used as a precedent for other cases.No appeal in Malegaon verdict?In the Malegaon case, also a blow to the prosecution, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said, “Aatankvad bhagwa na kabhi tha, na kabhi rahega.” (terror was never saffron and and never will be).आतंकवाद भगवा न कभी था, ना है, ना कभी रहेगा!#MalegaonVerdict— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 31, 2025The state of Maharashtra is expected to help terror-victims secure justice. But in this case, appears more keen on making political points over the acquittals in the case. The state’s deputy CM Eknath Shinde said, “From the very beginning, Shiv Sena has unequivocally supported the patriots who were falsely accused and imprisoned.”There is nothing about an appeal in this case, even if the norm in such significant cases where there is a significant setback to the prosecution, governments have been expected to go in appeal.The union Home Minister, Amit Shah, a day before the verdict by the NIA court had controversially said, “I am proud to say no Hindu can be a terrorist.” Ahead of the Malegaon blasts verdict in which members of extremist Hindutva outfit Abhinav Bharat were acquitted of all charges, Union home minister Amit Shah had claimed in the Rajya Sabha at the Congress for “manufacturing” the theory of “saffron terror”, and said, “I am proud to say, no Hindu can ever be a terrorist.”Shah had alleged that the “saffron terror” thesis was amplified by the Congress as part of its “politics of appeasement”.The kin of Malegaon victims have said that they will appeal the judgement which they call unjust and “wrong”, with the state government not expected to assist with an appeal.