Calling the 2008 Malegaon blast verdict "unacceptable", the father of the youngest victim of the attack said he will approach higher courts, including the Supreme Court if needed, in pursuit of justice.

“The court’s judgement is wrong. We will go to the Supreme Court to seek justice,” said 67-year-old Liyaqat Shaikh, holding a photograph of his Farheen – then aged 10 – as he addressed the media in Malegaon, a town in north Maharashtra.

Some families of the victims are preparing to file independent appeals against the judgment, said their lawyer, Shahid Nadeem, who also criticised the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for failing to act against witnesses who turned hostile during the trial.