The Maharashtra Government has filed an appeal in the Bombay High Court challenging a lower court’s verdict which acquitted two persons of conspiracy charges in the 26/11 terror attack case.
The two, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, were acquitted on May 3 by the trial court which felt that evidence against the duo was “doubtful.”
The State’s appeal was filed on Friday and would come up for hearing before a bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice Vijaya Kapse-Tahilramani on August 12, the High Court sources told PTI.
Meanwhile, the lawyers of convicted terrorist Ajmal Kasab are gearing up to challenge the death sentence awarded to him.
On the same day (Aug 12), the court would also hear the matter pertaining to confirmation of death sentence awarded to Kasab, a Pakistani national, for killing 166 persons along with nine others on November 26, 2008.
Lawyers Amin Solkar and Farhana Shah, appointed by Maharashtra State legal services committee to defend Kasab, are preparing to file an appeal challenging the trial court’s verdict sentencing him to death for his role in the attacks.
Faheem and Sabauddin, who were acquitted by the trial court, were charged with participating in the conspiracy to launch terror attack in the commercial capital of the country.
Faheem was charged with drawing maps and giving them to Sabauddin for passing them on to LeT which hatched the conspiracy. The maps were given to terrorists to carry out dastardly attacks at several places in the city.
The State’s appeal contended that the trial court had erred in holding that evidence against Faheem and Sabauddin was “doubtful.” On the contrary, it said, the evidence against the duo was very strong as one of the eye witnesses deposed against the duo on the conspiracy.
The appeal further contended that this eye witness had told the court that he had met Faheem in Nepal in January 2008 and in his presence he (Faheem) had handed over maps to Sabauddin asking the latter to forward them to LeT.
Besides, Faheem had hired a house at Cuffe Parade in an assumed name before the 26/11 terror attack. Cuffe Parade is the same area where the 10 terrorists had landed in a boat from Karachi on the ill—fated night, the appeal said.
Kasab is currently lodged in Central Prison in a bomb and bullet-proof cell, which is heavily guarded by Indo-Tibetan Border Security men.
