The Delhi High Court has refused to grant bail to Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy, an alleged operative of the Indian Mujahideen, implicated in the 2008 Delhi serial blasts. The decision was rendered by a Division Bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain, who highlighted Peerbhoy’s purported role as the head of the terror group’s media cell.
The prosecution alleged that Peerbhoy was instrumental in disseminating an email titled ‘Message of Death’ just moments before the blasts, which claimed responsibility for the attacks. The court remarked, “Such a level of coordination, planning, and logistics was possible only through the deployment of skilled technology, and the appellant [Peerbhoy] was, prima facie, at the centre of it.”
The court emphasized the severity of the crime, noting that the serial blasts in Delhi resulted in 26 fatalities and injured over 100 people. Consequently, the court upheld a trial court’s decision from July 19, 2025, which denied Peerbhoy’s bail plea. A comprehensive order from the court is anticipated soon.
The investigation linked Peerbhoy, a software engineer by profession, to the banned Indian Mujahideen. According to the Delhi Police chargesheet, while Peerbhoy did not plant the explosives himself, he allegedly provided critical technological support to the conspiracy. Authorities claimed that he sent emails minutes before the explosions, taking responsibility for the blasts, and used unsecured Wi-Fi networks to mask the senders’ identities.
Investigators further accused Peerbhoy of aiding in the creation and management of the group’s online propaganda and communication framework. His arrest came in October 2008 when the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended him, later transferring custody to the Delhi Police Special Cell.
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Peerbhoy faces charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Information Technology Act. His defense was represented by a legal team consisting of Advocates Mehmood Pracha, Sanawar, Jatin Bhatt, Kshtij Singh, and Sikander Raza. The Delhi Police’s representation included Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Ritesh Kumar Bahri, alongside Advocates Divya Yadav and Lalit Luthra.
