Mumbai serial blasts: 5 awarded death, 7 get life

NewsGram News Desk

New Delhi: A special MCOCA court sentenced five convicts to death while seven others were awarded life imprisonment in the Mumbai serial blasts case on Wednesday. At least 188 people were killed and over 800 got injured in the train blasts that ripped the Mumbai Locals apart in a chain of explosions on July 11, 2006.

Those sentenced to death include Md Faisal Sheikh, Naved Hussain KHan, Asif Khan, Ehtesham Siddiqui, and Kamal A Ansari.

The prosecution had demanded death for eight of the 12 convicts, however, the court awarded the maximum sentence to five. All the five were involved in planting bombs inside the trains.

Seven others were served life sentence in the Mumbai serial blasts case when seven RDX planted in Mumbai locals exploded, killing and injuring over a thousand commuters.

The family members of the convicts were not happy with the judgement and said they will move High Court as this was not what they expected.

Earlier, Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakre, terming all the 12 convicts "merchants of death", sought the death penalty for eight and life imprisonment for the remaining four at the Special MCOCA Court.

On September 11, Special MCOCA Judge YD Shinde found guilty 12 of the 13 accused for the suburban train blasts during the peak hours of the rainy evening of July 11, 2006.

Thakre sought death penalty for Kamal A. Ansari (37), medico Tanvir A. Ansari (37), Mohammed Sajid Ansari (34), Sheikh Mohammed Ali Alam Sheikh (40), Mohammed Faisal Sheikh (36), Ehteshan Siddiqui (30), Asif Khan alias Junaid (38), and Naved Hussain Khan (30).

He sought life term for Mohammed Majid Shafi (30), Muzammil Sheikh (27), Soheil Mohammed Sheikh (43), Zamir Ahmed Sheikh (36).

Thakre submitted before the Special Court that these four convicts were found guilty of offences which attract multiple life imprisonments, so they should be sentenced to life till the end of the lives in jail, or not less than 60 years.

Abdul Wahid Sheikh is the lone accused who was acquitted in the case, while another prime accused Azam Chima, alleged to be linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is among the 17 absconders, that include 13 Pakistani nationals.