Terming the perpetrators of the July 11, 2006, Mumbai train blasts “merchants of death,” the prosecution on Wednesday sought death penalty for eight of the 12 convicts in the case and life term for the remaining four.
A special MCOCA court is likely to pronounce the sentence on September 30.
At least 188 people were killed and over 800 injured following the serial blasts on suburban trains.
“Some thinkers ask why public money should be spent on these merchants of death,” Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakare told the court.
Mr. Thakare said the accused were beyond reformation and did not repent at any point.
“The defence’s submission that they confessed due to a sense of remorse and cooperated with the prosecuting agency should be rejected outright. If that is the case, why did they retract their confessions? They decided to confess only when they saw no escape,” he said.
Refuting the defence’s argument that the accused were only following instructions of mastermind Azam Cheema and had no effective control on the conspiracy, the prosecution said: “It cannot be said that they were victims of their circumstances and were dragged into the unlawful activity. This dastardly act was not performed on the spur of the moment, but it was the outcome of long planning. There was a long gap between the training they received and the incident. They had ample opportunity to retreat and reform themselves.”
Mr. Thakare differentiated between ordinary crimes and acts of terrorism, whose “extent and reach” were beyond those of ordinary crimes.
The eight persons for whom the prosecution sought death include five bomb planters — Kamal Ansari, Faisal Shaikh, Ehtesham Siddiqui, Naveed Khan and Asif Bashir Khan alias Junaid. The other three are Tanveer Ansari, Mohammad Ali Shaikh and Sajid Ansari,
For the other four — Majid Mohammad Shafi, Muzzammil Shaikh, Suhail Shaikh and Zameer Shaikh — the prosecution sought life imprisonment “till the end of their lives” and not less than 60 years.
Their ill-health, socio-economic backgrounds, education in jail and family condition could not be considered as mitigating circumstances, Mr. Thakare argued.
Accused and their role
The ATS chargesheet has named 12 people as accused in the Mumbai train blasts case.
Faisal Shaikh
Mumbai chief, Lashkar-e-Taiba
-Worked for Azam Cheema, LeT commander in chief, training in Pakistan
-Received arms training in Pakistan.
-On Cheema's orders, Shaikh sent his brother Muzammil, Dr Tanvir Ansari, Sohail Shaikh, Zameer Shaikh to Pakistan via Tehran
-Helped in getting hawala money for the execution of the 7/11 blasts through absconding accused Rizwan Daware and his brother, Rahil.
-Key conspirator along with Asif Khan Bashir Khan
-Housed and harboured Pakistani terrorists Salim, Sohail Shaikh, Abdul Razak, Abu Umed at his residence.
-7/11 conspiracy meetings were held at his Bandra residence
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Planted the bomb which exploded at Jogeshwari station
Asif Khan Bashir Khan alias Junaid
Key conspirator
-Housed and harboured Pakistani terrorists at his Mira Road residence
-Procured rexine bags, utensils, ammonium nitrate, detonators
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Planted the bomb which exploded in Borivali station
Mohammed Ali
Activist, SIMI
-Received arms training in Pakistan
-Bombs were assembled at his residence
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Majid Mohammed Shafi
Resident, Kolkata
-Helped Pakistani terrorists Sabir, Abu Bakr, Kasam Ali, Ammu Jan,
Ehsanullah, Abu Hasan cross into India through Indo-Bangladesh border
-Ehsanullah brought RDX with him, which were later used in making bombs
Sajid Margub Ansari
Activist, SIMI
-Procured timer electric circuitry and other devices for 7/11
-Housed and harboured Pakistani terrorists Aslam and Haifzulla
-Helped in assembling bombs at Mohammed Ali's house
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Kamal Ansari
Resident, Madhubani
-Recieved arms training in Pakistan
-Helped Pakistani terrorists Aslam and Hafizullah cross into India through Indo-Nepal border
Ehteshaam Siddiqui
Mumbai secretary, SIMI
-Harboured Pakistani terrorists Ammu Jan, Sabir, Abu Bakr, Kasam Ali, Ehsahnullah, Abu Hasan in a Mumbra house rented by Abdul Wahid Din Shaikh
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
-Planted the bomb which exploded at Mira Road station
Zameer Shaikh
Activist, SIMI
-Received arms training in Pakistan
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Muzammil Shaikh
Faisal's brother
-This computer engineer received arms training in Pakistan
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Helped in procuring hawala money to execute the 7/11 conspiracy through absconding accused Rizwan Daware and his brother Rahil
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Sohail Shaik
Activist, SIMI
-Recieved arms and ammunition training in Pakistan
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Dr Tanvir Ansari
Activist, SIMI
-Recieved arms training in Pakistan
-Surveyed local trains to plan the blasts
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
Naveed Hussain
Call centre employee from Hyderabad, Faisal's friend
-Helped in assembling bombs in Mohammed Ali's house
-Attended 7/11 conspiracy meetings
-Planted the bomb which exploded at Bandra station.
This article has been corrected for a factual error.
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