11/7 Mumbai train blasts: Death sentence to five convicts

Special MCOCA court on Wednesday gave death sentence to all five convicts who planted bombs in Mumbai local trains in 2006 that killed 88 people and injured over 800 Seven others were given life sentenceThe five who have been given death sentence are Ehtesham Siddiqui Asif Khan Mohammad Faisal Shaikh Naveed Khan and Kamal Ahamed AnsariPhotos Tracing the 117 Mumbai train blasts convicts deadly journeyCalling the convicts merchants of death the prosecution last weeksought death penalty for eight of the 12 convicts in the 117 train blasts case Apart from the five bomb planters special public prosecutor Raja Thakare had also pressed for capital punishment for three other convicts Dr Tanvir Ahmed Ansari Shaikh Alam Shaikhand Mohammad Sajid AnsariThe trio along with the remaining four convicts Mohammed Majid Shafi Muzammil Ataur Rahman Shaikh Sohail Mehmood Shaikh and Zameer Ahmed Shaikh have been sentencted to lifeAlso Read Conspiracy was hatched four years before the 117 Mumbai train blastsMangled remains of the first class compartment of a Virarbound train in which one of the blasts occurred after the local left Mahim station 188 people died after seven RDX bombs exploded in the first class coaches of seven local trains on July 11 2006 File picThe Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act MCOCA court on September 11 had convicted 12 of the 13 accused in the caseFrom arranging logistics for carrying out the July 11 2006 train bombings to conducting recce of suburban trains the accused had the task cut out for them in precision as per the chargesheet filed by AntiTerrorism Squad ATSAs per the chargesheet filed in 2006 Kamal Ahamed Ansari transported Pakistani nationals to Mumbai via Nepal border procured explosives attended training in Pakistan and also planted a bomb in a local train which exploded at Matunga railway station on the fateful dayOn the role played by Mohd Faisal Shaikh the ATS said he not only went to Pakistan twice for training but had also sent youths to that country for training purpose He had also attended conspiracy meetings besides giving shelter to Pakistani nationals Shaikh received money through hawala route He also planted a bomb in a suburban train which exploded in JogeshwariEhtesham Kutubuddin Siddiqui was the joint secretary of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India SIMI for Maharashtra at the time of the bombings Besides attending conspiracy meetings Siddiqui also conducted reconnaissance of local trains He was also presentwhen bombs were made He planted an explosive in a local train which exploded at Mira Road stationAccording to ATS Muzammil Shaikh Sohail Mehmood Shaikh Zamir Ahmed Shaikh and Naveed Hussain Khan attended conspiracymeetings and also surveyed local trains while Naveed planted a bomb in a train which exploded at Khar stationThe chargesheet said that Asif Khan had procured explosive material and planted a bomb which exploded at Borivali stationTanvir Ahmed who also underwent training in Pakistan attended conspiracy meetings to carry out blasts He was also present at the time of assembling bombs at suburban Govandi the chargesheet statedThe chargesheet said Mohammed Majid Shafi had arranged for transportation of Pakistani nationals to Mumbai via Bangladesh border and back after blastsIt said that Shaikh Alam provided his house in Govandi for making bombs while Mohammed Sajid Ansari assembled electric circuit which was used to trigger bombsThirteen Pakistani nationals who also played active role in the blasts are still absconding According to chargesheet all the accused accompanied by the 13 Pakistanis travelled with seven bags containing explosives from the house of Mohammed Faisal Ataur Rehman in different taxis to Churchgate railway station and planted them in first class compartments of trains during the peak eveninghoursSome of the accused had also surveyed important buildings like World Trade Centre Bombay Stock Exchange Mahalaxmi temple Siddhivinayak temple and local trains They chose trains as targets as other places surveyed by them had high security presenceRead Story 117 Mumbai train blasts verdict Survivors recall their tale88 people had died and 829 people were injured after seven RDX bombs had exploded in the first class coaches of seven local trains on July 11 2006 The blasts occurred in five minutes beginning 623 pm and the bombs began to go off postMatunga Road station towards the Virar end With inputs from agencies