Mumbai, February 10
The Bombay High Court today upheld the death sentence of three LeT members, including a couple, in the 2003 twin Mumbai blasts that claimed 52 lives.

The Division Bench of Justice AM Khanvilkar and PD Kode confirmed the death penalty awarded to Ashrat Ansari (32), Hanif Sayed Anees (46) and his wife Fehmida Sayed (43) but partially quashed the order of the trial court discharging two other accused on the basis of a report of the POTA review committee.

The high court upheld death sentence awarded to them on all three counts of perpetrating terror, criminal conspiracy and murder. Mohammed Ansari Ladoowala and Mohammed Hasan Batterywala will now have to face trial, but only under IPC charges that had been levelled against them, and not under POTA. The court directed them to appear in the trial court in four weeks for proceedings to be initiated.

The Bench, however, stayed the sentence for eight weeks to allow the convicts to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, in response to the request of their counsel Sudeep Pasbola.

On November 12, 2011, the court had reserved its judgment on confirmation of death sentence to the three after arguments concluded at a special hearing.

The three had been found guilty by a POTA court of planting powerful bombs in two taxis that exploded at the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar on August 25, 2003.

They were awarded death sentence on August 6.

The conspiracy for the blasts was hatched by Hanif, Ashrat, Nasir, a Hyderabad resident, who was later killed in a police encounter, and some Pakistani nationals owing allegiance to the LeT in Dubai.

The LeT’s role in the twin blasts was revealed by an accused-turned-approver. The approver was accorded pardon by the court after public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam submitted a certificate saying he might be discharged. — PTI

THE CASE

Two powerful bombs fitted in two taxis had exploded at the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar in Mumbai on August 25, 2003, claiming 52 lives.