ONGC terror plot case: 2 awarded varying jail terms

Mumbai, Jan 29: Two men were on Friday, Jan 29 awarded varying jail terms by a sessions court for hatching a conspiracy to launch terror strikes at the ONGC headquarters and other public places here in 2010.

"The court sentenced Abdul Latif to 12 years in jail and Riyaz Ali to 10 years' imprisonment," said special public prosecutor Rohini Salian. Sessions court Judge Sanjay Patil also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 on Latif and Ali, respectively.

The court had yesterday convicted the duo under various sections of IPC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Latif and Ali were arrested by ATS on March 14, 2010 from Central Mumbai. According to ATS, the ONGC headquarters in Bandra, Mangaldas Market and Thakkar Mall in suburban Borivli, besides Gaiety and Galaxy theatres, also in Bandra, were on their hit list.

The duo were in touch with a person, believed to be their handler, based in Pakistan and used to address him as 'uncle'.

Latif and Ali were directed by the 'uncle' to recruit young boys and to send them to Pakistan for training and carrying out terror activities in India.

ATS had said that it recovered from the duo cans of fuel and mobile phones which stored a Pakistani number.

They were booked under different sections of UAPA and under sections 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house etc.) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code.

As per the ATS charge sheet, the 'uncle' with whom Latif was in constant touch with was an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and is running a construction business in Karachi. The charge sheet stated that Ali was impressed with the slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and mob boss Dawood Ibrahim.

He used to sit glued to television set to catch up any news on Laden or Dawood. Ali used to address Laden as 'Laden Chacha' and refer him as an intelligent man-cum-scientist who had 'shaken' the US, the charge sheet stated.

He used to believe that Dawood was working for Muslims (in India) and addressed him as 'Bhai' (brother).

The charge sheet stated that Ali used to hate people from Gujarati community and was of the opinion that women should always cover themselves with veil.

The document further said that Ali used to ask his friends 'what India has given to them'. A total of 27 witnesses deposed during the trial.

PTI