India, Aug. 13 -- Nearly 15 years after his arrest as an undertrial accused in the 2011 Mumbai triple blasts case, a special MCOCA court on Wednesday granted bail to Zainul Abideen Abdul Razaque Shaikh alias Zahid, citing his prolonged incarceration and the principle of parity with two co-accused who were released on bail earlier this year.

Special judge Satyanarayan Navander said Shaikh had remained in judicial custody since 2012 and that the subsequent progress of the trial did not provide sufficient reason to deny him the same relief granted to his co-accused, Naquee Ahmed Wasi Ahmed Shaikh and Haroon Rashid Abdul Hameed Naik, in April.

The prosecution opposed the plea, citing confessional statements, CCTV footage and other scientifi...