Kolkata, April 26
Aftab Ansari, a Dubai-based terrorist linked with the ISI along with six other criminals arrested in connection with the attack on Kolkata's American Center on January 22, 2002, was pronounced guilty today by Justice Basudev Majumdar at the Alipore special court.
The court will declare the judgment of punishment tomorrow. The trial was conducted inside the Presidency jail under elaborate security arrangement where Ansari and others were produced for their final hearing.
Ansari and others were declared guilty under Sections 120, 120A, 302, 307 and other sections of the IPC on the charge of killing, treason, possession of illegal weapons and various other criminal and subversive activities.
Ansari’s lawyers, however, said they were not satisfied with the judgment and they would therefore appeal to the Supreme Court.
The court ordered the release of two other arrested persons as they had already undergone a reasonable period of punishment and their involvement in the American Center attack was little. But two other terrorists actively involved in the attack were earlier killed in a gun-battle with the Bihar police at Hazaribag some time in September 2003.
They were arrested there in a separate case and kept inside the Hazaribag
jail. But soon they had to come across an armed encounter with the police while attempting to escape from the jail. Only after their death the police came to know about their identity and involvement in the attack on the American Center.
It may be recalled that in a winter morning on January 22, 2002, two groups of terrorists, carrying AK-47, suddenly appeared in front the American Center on Chowringhee and gunned down seven constables.
The attack was so sudden and quick that the policemen were taken by surprise and therefore could do nothing. The terrorists escaped through crowded Chowringhee after their successful operation.
