Death for all three accused in 2003 Mumbai blasts case

A special Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) court has awarded the death sentence to all three accused in the 2003 twin Mumbai blasts at Gateway of Mohammad Hanif Syed, his wife Fehmida and third conspirator Ashrat Ansari were convicted for planting the bombs on August 25, 2003 that left 54 dead and 244 injured.

They had also planted a bomb on July 28, 2003 in a municipal bus in suburban Ghatkopar which killed two persons.

The judge P R Puranik hearing the case observed that it had been proved beyond reasonable doubt they had committed heinous acts resulting in numerous deaths, PTI reported.

Syed and Fehmida have been found guilty of planting the bomb in taxis at Gateway of India. Ansari delivered the bomb at Zaveri Bazaar. Special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam has called it a ‘‘rarest of rare’’ case in which the trio had ‘‘enjoyed their act of killing’’. Nikam said they had been unhappy with smaller blasts that resulted in low death tolls and hence used RDX for the twin blasts.

This is for the first time that a married couple is being convicted by a POTA court for their involvement in carrying out blasts.

After the sentencing, Fahmida broke down outside the court while her husband did not react and stood calm by her side. Ashrat said "Is andhe kanoon se kya insaaf milega (what justice can you get when the law is blind).

Commenting on the verdict, Nikam said, "We are happy that justice has been delivered. This would send a strong message to terrorists that they would get such punishment if they indulged in barbarous acts".

"Initially they had planted a bomb in a bus but since few people were killed, they decided to use powerful bombs on the instructions of Laskhar-e-Taiba," Nikam said.

Nikam said Fehmida had played a major role in these bomb blasts. She not only planted a bomb in a bus on July 28, 2003, along with her husband's friend Ashrat but also on August 25, 2003, she and her husband Hanif planted bombs in taxis at the Gateway of India.

"Fehmida had actively participated in the process of selection and approval of location of targets. Though Fehmida was a woman she was equally cruel as other accused in the execution of conspiracy," Nikam said.

TOI

Sensex falls 2.45%, auto stocks in reverse gear

MUMBAI:

MUMBAI: The BSE Sensex provisionally fell 2.45 percent on Thursday, as investors took profits on a near 19 percent jump over the past 3-½ weeks.

Automakers such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki led the drop after the auto sector had risen by more than a third since July 13 through Wednesday.

The 30-share BSE index provisionally ended down 389.69 points at 15,514.14, with 29 stocks declining.

The 50-share NSE index provisionally closed down 2.3 percent at 4,585.75.

The market plummeted in the last hour of trade as traders scrambled to unwind positions. Traders turned cautious after the benchmark Sensex was nearing the psychological level of 16000. Automobile stocks, followed by metals, were the worst hit after a sharp run-up in the recent rally.

The broader market ended on a weak note as well. The BSE Midcap Index was down 2.37 per cent while BSE Smallcap Index climbed 1.24 per cent.

Among frontline stocks, Tata Motors (-7.44%), Jaiprakash Associates (-6.24%), Maruti Suzuki (-5.96%), Hindalco Industries (-5.95%) and Mahindra & Mahindra (-5.87%) were under severe pressure.

Sun Pharmaceuticals, up 1.16 per cent was the lone gainer in the 30-share index.

Market breadth on BSE worsened with 1603 declines outnumbering 1088 advances.

(All figures provisional)

ET

Pota court to decide fate of 2003 blasts convicts

TOI

MUMBAI: A special Prevention Of Terrorism Act (Pota) court is likely to pronounce on Thursday whether the three persons, including a woman, found guilty of killing 52 people in one of the worst terror attacks on Mumbai, should be hanged or not.

The prosecution has demanded capital punishment for Hanif Syed, his wife, Fehmida, and third conspirator Ashrat Ansari for planting two bombs at Gateway and Zaveri Bazaar on August 25, 2003 that left so many people dead.

Syed and Fehmida have been found guilty of planting the bomb at Gateway. Ansari delivered the bomb at Zaveri Bazaar. Special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam has termed it a ‘‘rarest of rare’’ case in which the trio had ‘‘enjoyed their act of killing’’. Nikam said they had been unhappy with smaller blasts that resulted in low death tolls and hence used RDX for the twin blasts.

The defence, though, has been vehement in its opposition to the death penalty, especially for Fehmida.

She has been termed an ‘‘uneducated Muslim woman’’ who was merely following her ‘‘husband’s diktat’’ and not played an ‘‘active role’’ in the attack. Moreover, it has been argued that Syed and Ansari had been brainwashed by Pakistani nationals in Dubai and had acted ‘‘emotionally’’ in response to the riots in Gujarat.

Nikam called their act cold-blooded and premeditated. He said a lot of planning and preparation had happened in the run-up to the attack and Fehmida was not as passive as was argued.

TOI

Taslima Nasreen arrives in India, taken to unknown destination

TOI

NEW DELHI: Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin, who was dramatically bundled out from West Bengal in November 2007, returned here on Thursday for extension of her visa which is ending on August 17.

The 46-year-old Bangladeshi writer, who has been a target of Islamic fundamentalists, arrived at the Indira Gandhi International airport in the morning from a European country and was immediately whisked away by security agencies to an undisclosed destination, official sources said.

The future plans of the doctor-turned writer, who shot to fame with her controversial book "Lajja", were not immediately known.

Her visa is valid till August 17. She has been requesting for permanent residency in the country, but the government has not taken any decision on the issue.

Taslima had left India on March 18 last year for Sweden after she was kept in a safe house in the national capital for more than four months. Taslima, who had not been allowed to see any visitors during the period, had described her confinement as living in "a chamber of death".

The papers for extending visa of Taslima, who will celebrate her 47th birthday on August 25, had been moved and the nod for the extension was likely to be given by the government soon, sources said. The sources said they were awaiting government's order over the future course of action. She had come in February earlier this year but was asked to leave immediately after visa was granted to her till August 17 because of the general elections in the country.

The author has not been pressing for visiting her residence in Kolkata this time as she was skeptical of Left parties' response to her arrival, they said.

Taslima has lived in exile in many countries including France, Sweden and India since 1994. During her stay in India in the last five years, she has periodically travelled abroad with the last trip being in November 2007 when she was asked to leave West Bengal.

Recipient of various awards, Taslima was shifted from her Kolkata residence after violent protests marred parts of the metropolis over her controversial book "Dwihondito" (divided into two).

Certain references in the book had stirred a storm with some Muslim organisations demanding that she be asked to leave the state.

Taslima was packed off from Kolkata and shifted to Jaipur. The Rajasthan government decided to shift her to Delhi after some Muslim organisations threatened state-wide protests against her stay there.

Despite the writer's wish to return to Kolkata, the Left Front government in West Bengal did not pay any heed to her request.

The Bangladeshi author had said that she was "forced" to depart from Kolkata at such a short notice that she did not have time to even change her clothes.

A Swedish passport holder, Taslima flew to Sweden from Delhi on March 18 last year and was admitted to hospital following health problems.

TOI