Plea of convicted blast accused adjourned till Feb 5

Mumbai, Jan 31 (UNI) Designated TADA Court here today adjourned till February 5 the plea of 58 convicted mumbai serial blasts accused, urging the court to award them punishment under IPC or the Arms Act as they were first-time offenders and the blast was in retaliation for the communal riots in Metropolis.

The application came up for hearing before TADA judge P D Kode who adjourned the hearing as the accused were not produced in the court due to lack of police protection as the police machinery was busy in making arrangements for the civic polls.

The application contented that the court had recently convicted cine star Sanjay Dutt and his associates under the arms act even though they were facing trial under TADA and various acts.

Like them, they should also be awarded punishment under the IPC or arms act, it contended.

It may be recalled that the court had convicted 100 accused in the 1993 case. However, so far, the court has not pronounced the quantum of punishment to be awarded to them as the arguments were still going on.

UNI