11/7 convicts to know fate today, prosecution sought death for 8

MUMBAI: A sessions court on Wednesday will announce sentences for the 12 people convicted in the 11/7 serial train blasts. The prosecution has sought death for eight people.
Special MCOCA judge Yatin Shinde will pronounce the quantum of sentence over two weeks after the 12 were found guilty of the blasts that claimed 188 and injured 829 commuters in seven blasts, in first-class suburban railway compartments in 2006.Special public prosecutor Raja Thakare had sought death for bomb planters Ehtesham Sidduiqui, Asif Khan, Fai sal Shaikh, Naveed Khan and Kamal Ansari, a key conspirator Dr Tanveer Ansari, Mohammed Ali, who provided his house in Govandi for bomb-making, and Sajid Ansari, who made timers and the electric circuit used in the bombs. For the four other convicts, Thakare said they should be sentenced to jail until the end of their lives.
READ ALSO:
Justice for 188 deaths on Mumbai’s lifeline
7/11 Mumbai train blast: 12 accused convicted
In departure from practice, the defence was directed to proceed with submissions on the quantum of sentence before the prosecution. On September 21, defence advocate Yug Chaudhary commenced his arguments, referring to injuries and brutalities inflicted on the accused in custody and forced narco-analysis tests by a bogus doctor. He referred to LeT operative Azam Cheema as the architect of the crime.
Thakare said, "They are merchants of death. Thinkers pose a question and even public cry is why taxpayers should be burdened into paying for convicts' upkeep."

Final attempts for lighter sentences
With hours to go before the 12 people convicted for the 117 train blasts are sentenced by the special MCOCA court, they are making last-ditch efforts to persuade authorities to reduce the severity of punishment.
Ehtesham Siddiqui, for whom the prosecution sought the death penalty, has written to Union home minister Rajnath Singh about the convicts' plight, alleged evidence of their innocence and an appeal to "hand the case to the National Investigation Agency for reinvestigation." Given the inevitability of Wednesday's verdict, an application has also been filed in court on behalf of Siddiqui, Mohammad Ali and Faisal Shaikh, to retain them in Arthur Road Jail as they are also on trial for other cases.
(With inputs from Mohua Das)