2006 Mumbai blast accused are innocent, we will move to Bombay HC, says defence lawyer

Defence lawyer for the 12 convicts accused of precipitating the serial blasts on local trains in Mumbai in 2006, Sharif Sheikh, on Wednesday said that his clients were innocent and that he would now challenge the verdict of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in the Bombay High Court.

"The court has convicted all of the accused. They are innocent. They were rather the victims. The court has somewhere committed a mistake. It has not made efforts to find the truth. Whatever the advocates and the accused could do, they did. We will challenge the case in the high court. We will file an appeal and our team is hopeful that justice will be delivered and all innocent boys will be acquitted in the case." Sheikh added.

K. P. Raghuvanshi, a former chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), however, said, that Wednesday's verdict has strengthened the credibility of both the police and the judiciary, and has also given justice to Mumbaikars.

"This case has been going for nine years. Today, the final judgement has come out after long trial of nine years. Five of the accused, who were the planters (of the bombs), have been sentenced to death, and seven to life imprisonment under different sections, conspiracies, the IPC Section on the Explosive Act, MCOCA. The court has finally acknowledged the entire investigation by our team. Therefore, the court has given a verdict considering all the witnesses and evidences put forth by our team." Raghuvanshi told media here.

Five of the twelve convicts accused of precipitating the serial bomb blasts on local trains in Mumbai in 2006, were sentenced to death by a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court here on Wednesday. The remaining seven were handed life imprisonment.

Seven blasts took place on local trains in Mumbai during a span of 11 minutes, killing nearly 200 people and injuring about 700 others.

The examination of witnesses resumed after a span of two years after the country's apex court lifted its 2008 stay order on the case.