Four ’93 blasts convicts move high court over 60-yr jail term

The government’s power to keep the prisoners in jail has been challenged in the Bombay high court by four convicts in the 1993 bomb blast case. On Friday, they informed the court that they will challenge the government’s decision of keeping them in prison for 60 years.

Representing the state, advocate general Ravi Kadam said that the government was empowered to prescribe 60-year jail terms for 1993 blasts convicts. “The guidelines for premature release of life convicts are for the jail authorities. The government is not bound by them,” he argued.

A division bench of justice Ranjana Desai and justice Mridula Bhatkar was hearing a petition by Moin Qureshi and three others, challenging the government’s August 2009 decision.

Kadam refused to accept the petitioners’ claims that they were eligible for premature release according to the guidelines.
Moin, Salim Mira Shaikh, Niyaz Shaikh, and Shaikh Ali had moved the high court last year seeking remission.

However, NN Gawankar, counsel for the petitioner, argued that Moin’s case should be considered as per 1992 guidelines for premature release which had a maximum prison term of 30 years with remissions. “Salim, Niyaz and Ali would be covered under the 1978 guidelines that prescribed a maximum jail sentence of 24 years with remissions,” he said.

He also said that he was willing to amend his petition and sought to challenge the constitutional validity of the government’s decision.

The four accused were sentenced to life imprisonment  in June, 2007.