Court defers till tomorrow arguments on punishment to convict Memons

Mumbai, Sep 13 (UNI) A TADA court today adjourned till tomorrow hearing of arguments on the quantum of punishment to be given to the four members of Memon family found guilty of involvement in the 1993 serial bomb blasts which had claimed 257 lives.

TADA court judge Pramod Kode will also pronounce tomorrow verdict on the fate of Zaveri Bazaar blast accused Mohammed Sohaib Ghansar. He is listed as accused number nine in the chargesheet.

Verdict on the first eight accused, all members of the family of the absconding prime accused Tiger Memon, was pronounced yesterday.

Three brothers and a sister-in-law of Tiger Memon were held guilty, three others were discharged and Razzaq Memon, father of Memon brothers, had died during the trial.

Mr Kode adjourned arguments on the quantum of sentence for the four convicts when their counsel Harshad Poonda sought time till tomorrow.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam also urged the court that arguments on the quantum of punishment to the convicts could be held after the verdict on those who allegedly planted the bombs. These accused were still in jail, he added and pleaded that the verdict on them be delivered first.

The court accepted the plea and issued notice for the production of Mohammad Sohaib Ghansar in the court tomorrow. If time permitted the court could also announce verdict on the fate of four other alleged planters of bombs which had rocked the metropolis on March 12, 1993.

They are Asgar Mukadam, Abdul Gani Turk, Parvez Shaikh and Basheer Khairulla.

Mohamdad Sohaib Ghansar had been charged with having had planted a scooter bomb at Zaveri Bazaar in South Mumbai. The blast had claimed 17 lives.

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