Mumbai train blasts: 5 get death penalty, lifer for 7

The five – Kamal Ansari, Faisal Shaikh, Estesham Siddiqui, Naveed Khan and Asif Bashir Khan – were given death penalty for committing murder and carrying out terrorist acts. The chargesheet of the Anti-Terrorism Squad said that Improvised Explosive Devices were made in a room in suburban Govandi where a few Pakistani nationals were also present.

A special court in Mumbai today sentenced five of the 12 convicted in the case to death while the remaining were awarded life imprisonment.

In the meantime, the decision taken by the Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Judge Y.D. Shinde said that thoroughly going thorough the case investigations found that all the 11 convicted criminals were clearly involved in the Mumbai suburban train blast which left about 817 daily commuters who were comminuting thorough the Mumbai trains badly injured. Outside the court, a few convicts told reporters that they were dejected with the verdict of the trial court and will file an appeal in the Bombay High Court. “We shall challenge the judgment on the instruction of President Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Maulana Sayyed Arshad Madani”, said Gulzar Azmi, Secretary of Legal Aid cell of Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra. Asif Khan alias Junaid procured the explosive material used to make the bomb, and planted one which exploded in the train at Borivali. The verdict will somewhat bring closure to the families of the deceased as well to those who are now ploughing through life, having been rendered disabled by the powerful explosions. Mohammed Ansari, 34, had provided the electrical circuits for the bombs which went off with precision at the intended targets that evening. Of the 13 accused arrested by ATS between July 20, 2006 and October 3, 2006, 11 had given statements admitting to their involvement in the blasts but later retracted.

The examination of witnesses resumed after a span of two years after the country’s apex court lifted its 2008 stay order on the case.

August 19, 2014: Trial in the train blasts case ends. All the convicts stood with a blank face and heard the verdict carefully while the Judge handed down the quantum of sentence to the guilty.

“This case has been going for nine years”. Naved, who was given a death sentence, said, “I knew what was coming but I am hopeful that my innocence would be proved in the higher courts”.

“One should feel happy after getting acquitted, but as my 12 innocent brothers are inside I am not happy”, he claimed.