7/11 train blasts: Five get death, seven given lifer

Five persons were on Wednesday sentenced to death and seven others imprisoned for life by a special court here for the serial blasts on Mumbai local trains nine years ago that left 189 commuters dead and over 800 injured. Delivering the verdict, Special MCOCA Judge <g data-gr-id="25">Yatin</g> D Shinde awarded capital punishment to Kamal Ahamed Ansari (37), Mohd Faisal Shaikh (36), Ehtesham Siddiqui (30), Naveed Hussain Khan (30) and Asif Khan (38).

Seven accused spared the noose were Tanvir Ahmed Ansari (37), Mohammad Majid Shafi (32), Shaikh Alam Shaikh (41), Mohd Sajid Ansari (34), Muzzammil Shaikh (27), <g data-gr-id="29">Soheil</g> Mehmood Shaikh (43) and Zamir Ahmad Shaikh (36). All of them having links with banned outfit SIMI. The blasts, which sent shockwaves across the metro, ripped seven suburban trains within a span of 10 minutes between Khar Road-Santacruz, Bandra-Khar Road, Jogeshwari- Mahim Junction, Mira Road- Bhayander,Matunga- Mahim Junction and Borivali.

Seven RDX bombs exploded in the first class coaches in as many suburban trains, killing 189 people and injuring 829. The ATS <g data-gr-id="30">chargesheet</g> had said that IEDs were made in a room in Govandi in suburban Mumbai and some Pakistani nationals were also present during the bomb-making. After a long-drawn trial, on September 11 the court convicted 12 of the 13 accused, all allegedly having links with banned SIMI, while acquitting one.

The court had last week concluded hearing arguments on the quantum of <g data-gr-id="33">sentence</g> when prosecution demanded death penalty for 8 of the 12 accused while it sought life imprisonment for the remaining four. Five of the accused were found guilty under IPC 302 (Murder). All the accused were found guilty of charges under IPC, Explosives Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Indian Railway Act and those under MCOCA.

The court also found all them guilty under Section 3 (1) (i) of MCOCA, which attracts capital punishment. During the investigations, 13 accused, all of them <g data-gr-id="26">Indians,</g> were arrested and brought to trial. The <g data-gr-id="24">chargesheet</g> filed by ATS in November 2006 had named 30 accused.