2006 Aurangabad arms haul: Abu Jundal, 6 others get life sentence

A special MCOCA court inside the high-security Arthur Road Jail here Tuesday sentenced Sayed Zabiuddin alias Abu Jundal, a key accused in the 26/11 attack case, and six others to life imprisonment for the Aurangabad arms haul.

The ATS seized a huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives after chasing two cars in Maharashtra.

Special judge Shrikant Anekar sentenced Jundal, Mohammed Amer Shaikh, Bilal Ahmed, Sayyed Aakif, Afroz Khan, Mohammed Aslam Kashmiri and Faisal Shaikh (who got the death sentence in Mumbai’s serial local train blasts case) to jail for the rest of their natural life.

The court awarded a 14-year jail term to Mohammed Muzaffar and Dr Sharif Ahmed.

The judge said: “Since they were not found involved in the larger conspiracy, imprisonment for life would be excessive.”

He sentenced Afzal Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed and Javed Ahmed to eight years in prison. The judge said Afzal Khan was a patient of Dr Sharif and Mushtaq ran a small business on a handcart and was thus under the emotional influence of Dr Sharif. Javed was held guilty only under one charge.

The judge said it appeared that these three accused had acted like “arrows” and their “archer” was Dr Sharif.

Rejecting the defence plea for a reformative approach and to give the convicts lesser punishment, the judge said, referring to an observation by the Supreme Court: “It will be a mockery of justice to permit the accused to escape the extreme penalty of law when faced with such evidence and cruel acts.”

The judge noted “none of the accused has expressed repentance or remorse for their actions... This shows they are not likely to be rehabilitated”.

He also added that the sentences would be a “lesson for prospective offenders”.