Court resumes hearing in terrorism case, main accused untraced

A Mumbai Special MCOCA Court started proceedings in a case of terrorism in the absence of prime accused Afzal Usmani who escaped from police custody and remains untraced for nearly five weeks now.

Usmani is the main accused in the 2008 Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorist emails case and had given the police the slip, getting away on the pretext of going to the toilet Sep 20, when he was brought for a hearing to the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Special Court here.

He had been brought from Taloja Central Jail in adjoining Raigad district for the hearing.

"During today's hearing before Special Judge A.L. Pansare, a few of the accused in the case who are lodged in Arthur Road Central Jail (ARCJ) were produced but others kept in Taloja could not be brought here. Hence, the court adjourned the matter to Nov 22," lawyer Shahid Nadeem Ansari said.

He is among the panel of lawyers appointed by NGO Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra to provide legal aid to the total 22 accused in the IM terrorist emails case.

In the wake of the Usmani escapade, the state government shifted Special MCOCA Court No. 35 to the high security ARCJ.

According to official sources, the state government plans to shift the remaining two Special MCOCA Courts, Nos. 56 and 57, to the ARCJ by the year-end.

Presently, all major cases being handled by Court No. 35 have been shifted to ARCJ and the rest will also be shifted to the same premises for which additional infrastructure is being created.

A part of the premises now being utilised comprises the temporary air-conditioned court which was used to conduct the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab who was hanged in November 2012.

Prior to that, the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case trial, in which Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was finally convicted, was also conducted in the ARCJ.