Prosecution file their reply to the 7/11 accused complaints

Mumbai, Nov 16 (UNI) The prosecution today termed the allegations, made by the 13 accused in the 7/11 serial blasts case that Anti-Terrorist Squad officers had threatened them to confess the crime using assault, torture and harassment, as ''false and malicious''.

In their written reply submitted to Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Judge M R Bhatkar today, prosecution said that the allegations made by the accused against ATS officers are 'false, frivolous, baseless and malicious' and are made to prejudice the court with the intention of demoralising the officers and obtaining public sympathy through media.

They also contended court that the accused had received intensive training in terrorist training camps in Pakistan and all these tactics are laid down by the Al Qaeda Manual guidelines which they are following.

Apart from these, the accused were also periodically examined by the medical officers. When they were produced before the doctors or the judicial authorities, they had never made any complaint of ill treatment or assault, the prosecution added.

The court had fixed November 24 as the next hearing pertaining to their application of the alleged harassment, pressure tactics and mental and physical torture in the custody.

On November 9, all the thirteen accused in the blast case had made a written complaint to the MCOCA judge in this regard. They also informed the court that they wanted to retract their confessional statements given to the ATS under duress.

Thirteen people have been booked under MCOCA so far in the 7/11 serial blasts case.

On July 11 this year, blasts, on seven suburban trains on Western Railway in the evening peak hours, had left 187 people dead and over 800 injured.

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