Death row convict seeks permission to complete LLB in 7/11 Mumbai trains blast case (Maharashtra)

Written by Sadaf Modak |Mumbai |Updated: June 25, 2016 12:01:56 am 

As an undertrial, Siddiqui had enrolled for the LLB course at Siddharth College of Law under Mumbai University in 2014, after receiving permission from the MCOCA court. 

Ehtesham Siddiqui, on the death row in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case, has approached the special MCOCA court, seeking permission to pursue his studies. In a letter written from the Arthur Road prison, Siddiqui has said that having successfully completed the first year of his three-year LLB course, he had to miss the second- year examinations due to his conviction. Siddiqui and four others were sentenced to death in September last year for the train blasts. As an undertrial, Siddiqui had enrolled for the LLB course at Siddharth College of Law under Mumbai University in 2014, after receiving permission from the MCOCA court. In his plea, he has said that the examinations for his course are scheduled to begin in July. Siddiqui has said that till his death sentence is confirmed, he should be considered as an undertrial and not a convict as per law. An appeal is yet to be filed before the Bombay High Court in the case. 

Ehtesham Kutubuddin Siddiqui being escorted by the police to the court where he was awarded the death sentence in the 7/11 bomb blasts.

Siddiqui and co-accused Sajid Ansari, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, had both previously appealed to the Bombay High Court, seeking to be moved to Mumbai after they were shifted out of the city post their conviction, to complete their studies. In his letter, Siddiqui has also cited the Sunil Batra judgment of the Supreme Court which had laid down the fundamental rights of prisoners, observing that rights may suffer shrinkage due to incarceration but do not leave the person as he enters prison. The court has sought a response from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Siddiqui’s plea, adjourning the matter to next week.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/711-mumbai-trains-blast-case-death-row-convict-seeks-permission-to-complete-llb-2874045/ (Accessed 20 December 2018)

7/11 blasts verdict: Court convicts 12 out of 13 accused, all face death penalty

Sep 11, 2015 16:48:27 IST

PTI

Mumbai: Nine years after serial bomb blasts in trains rattled Mumbai killing 188 people, a special court here today convicted 12 accused, all allegedly having links with banned SIMI, holding five of them guilty for murder which could attract death penalty. Delivering the verdict, the Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Judge Yatin D Shinde held 12 of the 13 accused guilty while acquitting one of them. The convicts were allegedly linked to the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). 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.

Train Blasts - 11 July 2006

Five of the accused were found guilty of murder (IPC 302). The court also found all the 12 accused guilty under Section 3 (1) (i) of MCOCA, which could also attract capital punishment. Those convicted today are 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).

During the investigations, 13 accused, all of them Indians, were arrested and brought to trial.The chargesheet filed by Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in November 2006 had named 30, 17 of them absconding and out which 13 are said to be Pakistan nationals. The absconding include Azam Chima, an alleged Lashker-e- Taiba member. Arguments for the quantum of sentence are likely to begin on Monday.

The ATS chargesheet had said that Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were made in a room in Govandi in suburban Mumbai and some Pakistani nationals were also present during the bomb-making. Seven RDX bombs had exploded in the first class coaches in many suburban trains on July 11, 2006, killing 188 people and injuring 829. In the trial that ran for eight long years, the prosecution examined 192 witnesses, including eight Indian Police Service (IPS) and five Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers as well as 18 doctors. The defence lawyers examined 51 witnesses and one person was called as a court witness.

The blast occurred within a span of 10 minutes between Khar Road-Santacruz, Bandra-Khar Road, Jogeshwari-Mahim Junction, Mira Road- Bhayander, Matunga- Mahim Junction and Borivali. The MCOCA judge had concluded the trial on August 19 last year. The examination of witnesses resumed after two years since the Supreme Court had stayed the trial in 2008. Before the stay, the prosecution had already examined a police officer. The Supreme Court vacated the stay on April 23, 2010. Of the 13 accused arrested by ATS between 20 July, 2006 and 3 October, 2006, 11 had given statements admitting to their involvement in the blasts but later retracted.

The case took a twist when the defence lawyer sought to call Indian Mujahideen co-founder Sadiq Sheikh as defence witness after he told the police in 2008 that IM members were responsbile for all the blasts that happened since 2005 including the train blasts. The court had allowed to examine Sadiq as a defence witness. Reacting to the verdict, former Mumbai police commissioner AN Roy, who had played a key role in the investigation, said he was happy that the court endorsed the chargesheet submitted after thorough investigations by Mumbai police and ATS. "Investigations were done throughly by the Mumbai Police and the ATS. To start with it was a blind case. We had no clue. But I am satisfied with the verdict. Out of the 13 accused who were tried, 12 have been convicted while one is acquitted," he said. BJP, Congress and NCP awelcomed the verdict. On delay in completion of the trial, they suggested that terror cases should be fast-tracked.

Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/711-blasts-verdict-court-convicts-12-out-of-13-accused-all-face-death-penalty-2430344.html (Accessed on 19 December 2018)