THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2003 MUMBAI BLASTS

Updated on Thursday, August 06, 2009, 14:25 IST Tags:Mumbai Blasts, Terror, POTA, Ashrat Shafique Ansari, Fehmida Sayed
Zeenews Bureau Mumbai: Three persons, including a woman, were today sentenced to death by a special court for their involvement in the 2003 blasts at the iconic Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar here which left 54 dead and 244 injured. The convicted are Ashrat Shafique Ansari (32), Mohammed Hanif Sayed (46) and his wife Fehmida Sayed (43). They have been held guilty for murder and conspiracy under Sections 302, 307, 427 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code. They were also found guilty under Section 3 of POTA. The court turned down the leniency plea for Fehmida, on the grounds that she has children, by terming her act as “extreme cruelty”, hence doesn’t qualify for leniency. Hanif, who was present in court dressed in a white kurta pyjama, did not show any reaction when the verdict was delivered. His wife Fahmida remained silent at the time of the pronouncement of the judgement but broke down as she left the court premises. This is for the first time that a couple is being convicted by a POTA court for their involvement in carrying out blasts. Along with the couple, their 16-year-old daughter was also arrested for her alleged involvement in the blasts. However, she was discharged since the prosecution chose not to investigate the charges against her as she was a minor.
“The Court has announced death sentences to Ansari, Mohammed Hanif Sayed and his wife Fehmida Sayed for their involvement in the Bombay bomb blast case,” Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said just after the pronouncement of the judgment. "We are happy that all three got the death penalty. It is a message to people who indulge in terrorism that the law will not spare them if they commit such barbarous acts," Nikam said. Nikam said Zaveri Bazaar in south Mumbai was chosen since the trio wanted to target the famous Mumbadevi temple nearby. The historic Gateway of India was also chosen since they wanted to target the nearby Hotel Taj where many foreign tourists stay. "The aim of LeT was to destabilize India with these blasts," the special public prosecutor said. On August 25, 2003 two blasts had rocked the Gateway of India and the busy Zaveri Bazaar in South Mumbai killing 54 and injuring more than 200. They had also planted a bomb on July 28, 2003 in a municipal bus in suburban Ghatkopar which killed two persons.

They should be hung at the Gateway of India.

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