A Barabanki court on Saturday acquitted a former Aligarh Muslim University research scholar who was arrested in 2001 in connection with the blast in Sabarmati Express in 2000, reported PTI. Gulzar Ahmed Wani was freed because of lack of evidence. Another person, Mobin, who was also accused of orchestrating the blast, was acquitted by the court as well.

Both men were accused of being Hizbul Mujahideen militants, but the investigators could not find any evidence to prove the claim. Wani is a native of Barammulla in Kashmir. “The court of Additional Sessions Judge MA Khan acquitted both the accused of all the charges as the prosecution could not establish any of the charges levelled against them,” advocate MS Khan told the agency.

In April, the Supreme Court had said that it was a “shame” that Wani was still in custody though he had been cleared of charges in 10 out of 11 cases, reported The Indian Express. “The problem is that you want to keep him inside the jail but not complete the trial,” a bench led by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar had told the Uttar Pradesh government because he was lodged in the Lucknow district jail. “He was acquitted in all other cases. You seem to be very casual.”

At least nine people were killed in the blast on the Muzaffarpur-Ahmedabad train on the eve of Independence Day.