Mumbai '03 blasts case: Sentencing deferred

A special POTA court in Mumbai has deferred sentencing in the 2003 Mumbai twin blasts case till August 6. Last week, the court had held three accused guilty. Over 50 people were killed in the blasts.

The court has held them guilty of conspiracy, murder and also under the Prevention Of Terrorism Act (POTA). The is the biggest blasts case after the 1993 serial blasts trial and took six years to complete.

This is the first case in which a husband and wife have been held guilty of terror activities in the country.

The special POTA judge M R Puranik had convicted Ashrat Ansari (32), Hanif Sayed Anees (46) and his wife Fehmida Sayed (43) last week for their role in carrying out the blasts in which 52 persons were killed and 100 injured.

The convicts face life imprisonment or death penalty, and special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam has said he would ask for stringent punishment.

The trio was convicted under sections of IPC for conspiracy, murder and attempt to murder. They were also found guilty under sections of POTA, Explosives Act, Explosive Substances Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

The convicts were also involved in placing an unexploded bomb in a bus at suburban SEEPZ on December 2, 2002, and another explosive device in a bus at Ghatkopar on July 28, 2003 in which two persons were killed due to the explosion.

However, Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT, to which the three were linked, decided to conduct high intensity explosions, and hence powerful bombs were planted at two taxis in Zaveri Bazaar and Gateway of India on August 25, 2003.

The twin blasts were the first time that the LeT had carried out involving a family, and the couple travelled to the designated locations to place bombs.

(With PTI inputs)