Large gathering outside court ahead of verdict

MUMBAI: A large group of people, including the accused as well as victims of the 1993 serial bomb blasts, along with mediapersons gathered outside the TADA court here on Thursday morning ahead of the verdict in the case to be delivered by Justice P D Kode.

The focus was on the three barracks inside the Arthur Road Jail, converted into the special TADA court with Justice Kode expected to start delivering the verdict.
 
A number of mediapersons from national and foreign media were present outside the narrow lane leading to the court premises.

Justice Kode, who presided over the case for more than ten years, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam and one of the most prominent accused, actor Sanjay Dutt, arrived at the TADA court one by one.

Dressed in a casual blue shirt and jeans, Sanjay Dutt, who spent almost two years in jail in the case, seemed calm as he arrived at the court.

Ninety-four accused on bail and 29 in custody have been summoned to the court and security has been tightened with barricades put up all around and at least 200 policemen posted at the venue since morning.

The court may take more than a fortnight to deliver the entire verdict considering the testimony of 686 witnesses in over 13,000 pages of evidence tendered by them - a record of sorts in Indian legal history.