- Title: INDIA: Three Indians sentenced to death over 2003 Mumbai blasts
- Date: 7th August 2009
- Summary: SMUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (AUGUST 6, 2009) (ANI) EXTERIOR OF COURT BOARD OF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE POLICE PERSONNEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) UJJWAL NIKAM, PROSECUTION LAWYER, SAYING: "The court has sentenced all the accused for death penalty under section 302 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as for causing the death of 54 persons under 3(2) of POTA act as well as under the section 120 (b) of IPC. This decision is very important and it would give a strong signal to everyone who would like indulge into such types of illegal activities and costing the lives of the innocent persons." A BOUQUET BEING PRESENTED TO NIKAM (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) S. KUNJURAMAN, DEFENCE LAWYER, SAYING: "Right from the sentence we knew that a judgement of this sort would be pronounced so we were ready for the appeal. And we will strongly appeal in the high court. (Reporter's Question: Till what time will you file an appeal?) Probably we'll get the judgement copy today itself and then within a week we would file appeal." (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) DINESH, RELATIVE OF A BLAST VICTIM, SAYING: "It was a very heinous task. The bodies were in a very bad state. But I am satisfied that they got death sentence today. I prayed for this every day since the incident. I used to come to court several times and have spoken to many people and I was with the entire security team that day and have seen the incident very closely." MUMBAI, INDIA (FILE) (ANI) POLICE AT THE BLAST SITE REMAINS OF OBJECTS DAMAGED IN THE BLAST POLICE AT THE BLAST SITE VEHICLES DAMAGED IN BLASTS BLOOD STAINS POLICE AND FORENSIC EXPERTS AT THE BLAST SITE
- Embargoed: 22nd August 2009 12:57
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: Legal System
- Reuters ID: LVAUQXAFCUDBHGU6KNRXOAB4WGH
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: court on Thursday (August 6) sentenced to death three Indians found guilty of conspiring with a Pakistan-based militant group to carry out serial blasts in Mumbai in 2003 that killed at least 54 people, officials said.
The blasts were blamed on Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which New Delhi also says carried out the November attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people and raised tension between India and Pakistan.
A special Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) sentenced to death Ashrat Ansari, Mohammad Hanif and his wife Fehmida, who were found guilty of conspiring with the LeT in the two blasts in Mumbai in August 2003 at a jewellery market and a popular tourist spot that also wounded 200 people.
"The court has sentenced all the accused for death penalty under section 302 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as for causing the death of 54 persons under 3(2) of POTA act as well as under the section 120 (b) of IPC. This decision is very important and it would give a strong signal to everyone who would like indulge into such types of illegal activities and costing the lives of the innocent persons," said Ujjwal Nikam, the public prosecutor, who had pressed for the death penalty for the three, despite pleas for a lesser sentence for the female accused.
The prosecution had charged that the plot was hatched in Dubai with several Pakistani LeT co-conspirators.
S. Kunjuraman, defence lawyer said they were prepared for this judgement and would file an appeal to the high court within a week.
"Right from the sentence we knew that such a judgement of this sort would be pronounced so we were ready for the appeal. And we will strongly appeal in the high court," he said.
Answering a reporter's question about the timing of an appeal, he said: "Probably we'll get the judgement copy today itself and then within a week we would file appeal."
Dinesh, whose sister died in the blasts, was very happy with the judgement.
"It was a very heinous task. The bodies were in a very bad state. But I am satisfied that they got death sentence today. I prayed for this every day since the incident. I used to come to court several times and have spoken to many people and I was with the entire security team that day and have seen the incident very closely," said Dinesh.
The sentencing on Thursday by a special court comes days after Pakistan's Supreme Court adjourned an appeal hearing to decide whether to re-arrest LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, who was held after the November Mumbai attacks. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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