Senior counsel Natarajan to argue '93 blast case from tomm

Mumbai, Feb 14 (UNI) Senior Counsel for CBI N Natarajan will begin arguing over the quantum of punishment to the 96 people convicted in the 1993 serial blasts case, from tomorrow.

Public Prosecutor Ujwal Nikam today argued the case before designated TADA Judge P D Kode and divided the convicts into three groups.

The first group comprises of 47 convicts, who were found guilty by the court for participating in the conspiracy of the blast and for aiding and abetting the terrorist activities. This group includes members of the Memon family, who had masterminded the blasts and those who parked the RDX-laden vehicles and suitcases at different places in the metropolis, resulting in the blasts on March 12, 1993.

The second group consists of 44 convicts, found guilty by the court under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act and TADA Act, but were not involved in taking part in the conspiracy of the blasts.

The third group has convicts, who were found guilty under the Customs Act and TADA Act for allowing the smuggled arms and ammunition into the country, that were later used for committing the terrorist acts.

The CBI had earlier argued the case of four convicts including cinestar Sanjay Dutt. They were found guilty under the Arms Act but not under the TADA Act. The punishment under the Act ranges from minimum five years to maximum ten years of RI. However, the CBI had demanded 10 years' RI for Dutt and his associates.

UNI