The Bombay high court on Friday confirmed the death sentence of three accused involved in the twin blasts at Gateway and Zaveri Bazar on August 25, 2003, and observed that the serial blasts were planned as retaliation to the Godhra riots. The court confirmed that there was no emotional or extreme mental disturbance, but a well-planned criminal conspiracy behind the gang indulging in the bomb blasts.
Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice P.D. Kode confirming a Pota court order of August 6, 2009, sentencing accused Ashrat Ansari, Hanif Sayyed and his wife Fahamida Sayyad observed that the three accused were confirmed to be members of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. These acts were not momentarily impulsive acts, but a well-hatched conspiracy, observed the court.
The twin blasts, which occurred with a gap of fifteen minutes between each other, rendered 54 dead and 242 injured. It also caused damage to public property worth `1.6 crore. The court confirmed that the accused persons along with other accused were also involved in a failed attempt to cause a blast in a BEST bus at Seepz depot, and explosion at Ghatkopar on July 28, 2003 in a BEST bus. “They had no remorse or repentance for their ghastly act at Ghatkopar. On the contrary, they continued the activities and geared up to commit damage of a higher magnitude and in the process planned blasts at Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazar,” observed the HC. The seizure of contraband revealed that they had plans for further terror, observed the HC.
The court observed that it was a rarest of the rare case deserving extreme penalty and hence death sentence was confirmed.
Meanwhile, the court confirmed the order of Pota review committee in case of other two accused, namely Hassan Mohammad Shaikh, alias Batteriwala, and Rizawan Hassan Ansari, alias Ladduwala. However, the two will be facing charges of conspiracy under section 120 (B) of the IPC.