The Supreme Court on Wednesday posted for final hearing on November 1 the March 12, 1993 Mumbai blast cases and a batch of appeals filed by the accused, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the State of Maharashtra.
The hearing will be a day-to-day affair, said a Bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and B.S. Chauhan,
The judges will use computers to have a look at the over 4,000-page trial court judgment. The court master and assisting counsel have also been provided computers to argue the matter and render assistance to the judges.
Over 20 persons were killed and 713 injured and property worth Rs. 23 crores was damaged in the blast. Of the 179 persons cited as accused, the designated court awarded the death penalty to 11 persons, and jail sentences ranging from three years to life term to 76 others. The others were acquitted. Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was sentenced to six years in jail under the Arms Act but was exonerated of terror offences under the stringent TADA Act. He was one of the accused granted bail by the Supreme Court.
The trial court recorded more than 13,000 pages of oral evidence and 7,000 pages of documentary evidence, and secured 135 confessions and 686 witness statements. Those facing the death penalty filed appeals and one of them died. The CBI and the State filed appeals challenging the acquittal of 67 persons, four of whom have since died. The Bench posted the case after hearing senior counsel Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for the CBI, and other counsel.
