The Bombay high court from June 15 will commence the final hearing in the death confirmation of Mirza Himayat Baig, the lone convict in Pune's 2010 German Bakery blast case.
The high court will also hear the appeal filed by Baig against his conviction. In addition, it will decide three intervention applications — two by witnesses and one by a journalist — challenging the prosecution case.
Mahmood Pracha, Baig's advocate, sought that Baig should be produced in person so that he could take instructions (from Baig) if required.
Special public prosecutor Raja Thakare said that Baig could be produced through video conferencing like it is being done in recent high-profile cases.
Arshad Shaikh, advocate for two witnesses — Shaikh Gous Khurshid Ahmed and Abdul Rehan Ahmed Shaikh — claimed that they were coerced and tutored into making deliberate false statements before the court with a malafide intention of securing conviction of Baig.
The witnesses have also alleged that before they were to depose in the trial court, they were kept separately for several days and tutored by the state Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) personnel as to the nature of recoveries and statements that were relied on to convict the accused in the trial.
Journalist Ashish Khetan has also filed an intervention application praying for a re-investigation in the case by an independent agency alleging fabrication of evidence and tutoring of witnesses by ATS.
Mihir Desai, Khetan's advocate, said the journalist has carried out a sting operation wherein witnesses have said that they were coerced by the ATS to give testimony in their favour.
On February 13, 2010 a bomb exploded inside the German Bakery in Pune's upmarket Koregaon Park area killing 17 persons, including five foreigners and injuring 58 others.
On April 19, the sessions court in Pune awarded death penalty to Baig, a resident of Beed.
As per the law, the state government has to get the death sentence confirmed from the Bombay high court.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}