Arguments on quantum of sentence on Tuesday.
A special Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) court in Mumbai on Tuesday convicted 10 accused in Mulund, Vile Parle and Mumbai Central blasts cases – the case was clubbed into one case and was called the Mulund blast case because it was part of a single conspiracy and took place between 2002-03. The court has acquitted three persons from the case, as the prosecution could not prove the case against them.
The special Pota judge P.R. Deshmukh will hear arguments on the quantum of punishment on Tuesday. There were three blasts — first on December 6, 2002 at McDonalds at Mumbai Central Railway station in which 25 persons were injured, the second blasts took place in January 27, 2003 at Mungibai Market in Vile Parle (E) in which a lady had died and 32 others were injured and the third blasts took place in a Karjat-bound local train and the bomb went off when the train was entering Mulund railway station. Eleven people had died and other 82 were injured in this blast.
The investigating agency found these blasts to be part of a single conspiracy and hence filed a combined chargesheet against the 15 accused. However, Rashid Ahmed Ansari and Mohammed Sadique Turaballi Sayyed alias Sadique Khopholi died during the initial stages of the court proceedings and the cases against them were abated. Six accused are still wanted in this case.
The judge had divided the accused into different groups as per their role and called them into a witness box and explained the charges for which they were found guilty. According to the verdict, Muzammil Asari is the only accused who is facing death penalty and the prime accused Saquib Nachan along with Ateef Mulla and Hasib Mulla have been found guilty under Pota and are facing imprisonment from 10 years up to life imprisonment. Another set of accused Gulam Khotal, Farhan Khot and Dr Abdul Wahid are facing imprisonment up to life and Mohammed Kamil, Noor Mohammed Ansari and Anwar Ali are facing imprisonment up to three years. The court acquitted Mohamed Nadeem Paloba, Haroon Rashid Lohar and Adnan Mulla for want of evidence against them.
