Equating the blasts to an attack on the nation, the CBI counsel urged judge PD Kode to give the highest punishment to curb and deter such terrorist acts.
The CBI on Thursday sought death penalty for 44 of the 47 accused held guilty by the Tada court of being part of the 1993 blasts conspiracy. Equating the 1993 blasts to an attack on the nation, CBI counsel N Natarajan urged judge PD Kode to give the highest punishment to curb and deter such terrorist acts.
The court has convicted 100 of the 123 accused in the 1993 serial blasts case. Of the 100 convicted, 47 were held guilty of being part of the terrorist conspiracy. Making an exemption for Imtiyaz Ghavate, who suffers from AIDS, SK Thapa, who has lung cancer and Rubeena Memon, the only woman convicted for conspiracy, the CBI said that the 44 convicts, including some RDX 'planters', were responsible for the death of 257 persons and were a "menace to society".
Relying on the 2005 Supreme Court judgment in the 2001 Parliament attack case, Natarajan said the SC had upheld the death penalty for Afzal Guru thereby sending a clear message that terrorist acts would not be tolerated. The SC had ruled that "though every terrorist act does not amount to waging war, certain terrorist acts can also constitute the offence of waging war and there is no dichotomy between the two".
The CBI also sought life imprisonment for 42 of the 44 accused held guilty under Tada and various other Acts, but spared the conspiracy charge. Urging the court to show no leniency, Natarajan said the court needs to send out a tough message after over 20 years of terrorism in the country. Even neighbouring countries took advantage of such unrest, he said and added that the rise of terrorism was a global concern today.
The CBI sought lesser punishment for the two women in this group- Zaibunissa Kazi and Mubeena Bhiwandiwala.
For the five persons held guilty under the Customs Act, the CBI once again sought the maximum punishment (three years' imprisonment) stating that they had helped in smuggling RDX and weapons. Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam has already sought ten years' imprisonment for actor Sanjay Dutt and three others held guilty under the Arms Act.
){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}