Convicts in Mumbai train blasts case ask for lenient sentences

Mumbai, September 14

All twelve convicts found guilty of being involved in the 2006 serial blasts in Mumbai’s local trains pleaded with a trial court for lenient sentences on “humanitarian grounds”.

The court will continue to hear arguments for quantum of sentences on Tuesday,

The judge called each convict before him and recorded their respective statements on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to them.

A special court dealing with Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act cases sentenced 12 people and acquitted one for planting bombs in Mumbai’s trains, which exploded over 11 minutes on Mumbai’s Western Railway line during peak hours, killing 188 lives people.

Kamal Ahamed Ansari (37), Tanvir Ahmed Ansari (37), Mohd Faisal Shaikh (36), Ehtesham Siddiqui (30), Mohammad Majid Shafi (32), Shaikh Alam Shaikh (41), Mohd Sajid Ansari (34),Muzzammil Shaikh (27), Soheil Mehmood Shaikh (43), Zamir Ahmad Shaikh (36), Naveed Hussain Khan (30) and Asif Khan (38) were found guilty of the crime.

All convicts were suspected of being linked to the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India.

A chargesheet filed by Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in November 2006 had accused 30 people — 17 of who are still absconding, including Azam Chima, a suspected Lashker-e-Taiba member — of being involved in the bombings. Thirteen of those on the run are suspected of being Pakistan nationals. — PTI