Charges framed in 7/11 serial blast case

Mumbai, Aug 7: A Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Court today framed charges against 13 accused in the July 11 serial train blasts last year.

MCOCA Court Judge Mridula Bhatkar framed charges under different acts including stringent MCOCA, IPC, Prevention of Unlawful Activity, Railway, Explosive and Prevention of Damage to Property Act for their alleged involvement in the serial blasts, despite their refusal to sign the charge papers.

Seven blasts took place in the span of 11 minutes between 1824 hrs and 1835 hrs on local trains of Western Railway, in which 187 people were killed and more than 800 injured, on July 11 last year.

MCOCA Court Judge Bhatkar said, ''When the accused do not have faith in the judiciary, I can not do anything. And hence the charges have been framed against the accused.'' However, Ms Bhatkar gave 15 days' time to the accused to discuss the matter with their lawyers. The court then adjourned the matter till August 21.

She also forwarded the application of the accused seeking transfer of their case to another court as they did not have faith in the special MCOCA court, to Principal Judge Ashok Bhangale.

The accused -- 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 -- have been booked under sections 3 (ii) (3(2), 3(4) 3 (5) of MCOC Act, !20 (b), 302, 307, 121 (a), 122, 123, 124 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 13(a)(2), 17, 40 of Prevention of Unlawful Activity act, 1967, 5, 6, 9(b) of Explosive Act, 159, 153 of Railway Act, 12(1)(c) of Passport Act and 3(4) of Prevention of Property Damage Act.

Judge Bhatkar held a meeting with defence advocates last evening, after explaining the charges to accused persons. She had told the advocates to explain the court procedure to their respective clients. Even after the court's assurance to the accused that they would be given sufficient time to hire advocates and discuss the matter with them, they declined to sign the charge papers today. Later the court pronounced that the charges had been framed against the accused.

On November 30 last year, the prosecution had filed a chargesheet running into over 10,000 pages against the 13 accused, who are presently in judicial custody. The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) had also filed a supplementary chargesheet against all the accused on April 9 this year.

UNI