[JURIST] Authorities in India [JURIST news archive] have charged 30 people for their connections to the July 11 Mumbai train bombings [JURIST news archive] which left 185 dead and approximately 700 injured. The suspects, mostly Muslims, include 15 Pakistanis and 17 Indians. Only 13 of the suspects, all Indian, were present in court, while the others were charged in absentia. Two of those charged in absentia are known to be dead, one having died in the blasts, the other killed by police later. All in all, the court in Mumbai - formerly Bombay - received over 10,000 pages of charges from Mumbai police [official website], covering conspiracy, illegal possession of arms and explosives, aiding terrorist acts, and waging war against the state.

Alleged attack mastermind Azam Cheema [official wanted poster] is one of the named Pakistani suspects, and is believed to be the head of Pakistan based Islamic militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba [FAS backgrounder]. While Lashkar-e-Taiba is officially banned in Pakistan, the US, India, and other nations have claimed that Pakistan is allowing the group to operate under other names, and India has blamed Pakistan for the blasts, claiming links between the blasts, the militant group, and Pakistan’s spy agency. India and Pakistan’s peace talks stalled during the public outcry after the attacks, however has recently resumed. BBC News has more. AFP has more.