The Bombay High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on confirmation of death sentence awarded to five convicts in the Mumbai train blasts case, saying it was “overburdened”.
July 11, marked the 16th anniversary of the seven serial blasts in a space of 11 minutes that killed over 200 people and injured over 700.
A division bench of justices R.D. Dhanuka and M.G. Sewlikar was hearing the confirmation filed by the Maharashtra government of the death sentence awarded to five convicts by the trial court in September 2015. The court was also hearing an appeal filed by seven other convicts challenging their life sentence.
Special public prosecutor Raja Thakare informed the court that hearing all the matters would take at least six months. The bench remarked that it was already overburdened and the Chief Justice should be approached to assign a dedicated bench to hear the cases.
Mr. Thakare then told the court that these matters were assigned to benches led by (retired) justices Naresh Patil, B.P. Dharmadhikari and S.S. Jadhav, but they were all due to retire.
The lawyers said this bench was assigned this case and therefore the matter must be heard by it.
“Yes, but we are already overloaded,” the court said. “I will simply place this matter for hearing in August for directions and final hearing.”
On 30 September 2015, a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court sentenced to death Faisal Sheikh, Asif Khan, Kamal Ansari, Ehtesham Sidduqui and Naveed Khan who planted the bombs on different trains.
Mohammed Sajid Ansari who prepared the electrical circuits for the bombs, Mohammed Ali who made his residence available to make them, Dr. Tanveer Ansari, one of the conspirators, and Majid Shafi, Muzzammil Shaikh, Sohail Shaikh and Zamir Shaikh who provided logistical support were sentenced to life imprisonment.
