7/11 Blast: Defence advocates told to be in court

Mumbai, June 20: Maharashtra Control for Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court Judge Mridula Bhatkar today directed all defence advocates, representing the accused in the July 11 blasts in the Western Railway trains in Mumbai last year, to remain present in the court on June 22 or notice against them would be sent to Bar Council for appropriate action.

Judge Bhatkar, who is presiding over the 7/11 serial train blasts case, was enraged when defence advocates failed to remain present in the court and some accused persons started arguing with the Judge over the framing of charges.

Accused Ehtesham Ansari said, ''The court has given us only five days time to engage a lawyer for conducting the trial, which is insufficient,'' adding that he wants to consult his family members and only then will he be able to hire a lawyer.

When the court specifically asked the accused as to how much time they would need to hire an advocate, some of them said they would be able to tell the court after talking to their family members.

Considering their request and absence of other advocates, the court adjourned the matter till June 22.

Judge Bhatkar asked all advocates on record to be present in the court at 1100 hrs sharp on Friday. If they failed to do so, a notice would be sent against them to the Bar Council for appropriate action, she said.

The accused persons are: Kamal Ansari, Dr Tanvir Ansari, Faisal Sheikh, Ehtesjham Siddique, Mohammed Majid Shafi, Mohammed Ali Aslam Sheikh, Mohammed Sajid, Abdul Wahiduddin, Muzammil Sheikh, Sohail Sheikh, Zameer Sheikh, Naveed Hussain and Asif Khan Basir Khan.

The prosecution's contention is that the accused had allegedly executed a plan to explode seven bombs simultaneously on the suburban local of Western Railway on July 11 last year.

The bombs exploded in seven different places in a span of 11 minutes between 1824 hrs to 1835 hrs. The blast killed more than 188 people and injured over 700.

On Novermber 30 last year, the prosecution had filed an over 10,000 page chargesheet against the 13 accused, who are presently in judicial custody. The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had also filed supplimentary chargesheet against the accused on April 9, this year.

UNI

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