Mumbai, Oct 20 : Seventeen years after the serial blasts on Mumbai local trains which killed 189 commuters and injured 824 others, the Bombay High Court on Friday commenced hearing on pleas seeking confirmation of the death sentences awarded to the five convicts by a special court and appeals of the latter against the Capital Punishment, which was filed before it in 2015.
Special public prosecutor Raja Thackery appeared before a division bench consisting of Justice Nitin Sambhar and Justice N R Borkar and began the arguments.
In a nearly two hours arguments he informed the court about the case history. Later the HC adjourned the hearing till Monday to hear the matter on day-to-day basis.
After a trial of over eight years, a special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) awarded the death penalty to five individuals – Ehtesham Sidduiqui, Asif Khan, Faisal Shaikh, Naveed Khan, and Kamal Ansari – for planting the bombs on the trains.
The other seven who provided logistical support to the accused were sentenced to life in prison.
In 2015, the state government filed an appeal in the high court seeking confirmation of the death penalty, as per the requirement of confirming a death sentence awarded by the trial court.
The convicts also filed appeals challenging their conviction and sentences.
