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New Delhi: The
Supreme Court will Thursday pronounce its verdict on the 124 cross
appeals by those convicted by a special court for the 1993 Bombay
serial bomb blasts, including film star Sanjay Dutt, as well as by
the Maharashtra government challenging some acquittals and seeking
enhanced sentences for other guilty.
A bench of Justice P.Sathasivam and Justice B.S.Chauhan had heard
the spate of cross petition by the convicts and the state of
Maharashtra over ten months. The hearing that commenced Nov 1,
2011, concluded Aug 29, 2012.
The judgment is divided into six parts. Justice Sathasivam will
pronounce judgment on appeal against death sentences and life
imprisonments in parts 1 and 2 respectively.
He will also pronounce judgment under part 6 dealing with cases of
conviction under the Arms Act/Explosive Substances Act. This part
will deal with the appeal of Sanjay Dutt challenging his
conviction under the Arms Act and sentence of six-year
imprisonment.
Justice Chauhan will pronounce verdicts on the appeals covering
varying terms of imprisonment in part 3, judgments dealing with
appeals by accused challenging their conviction in part 4, and
finally verdicts dealing with the appeals filed by the Maharashtra
government against the acquittal of accused in part 5.
The court dealing with the then Terrorist and Disruptive
Activities (Prevention) Act had convicted and sentenced 12 accused
to death, 20 to life imprisonment, and 46 others, including Sanjay
Dutt, were given varying terms of imprisonments.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had faced flak for not
challenging the TADA court verdict acquitting Sanjay Dutt of
charges under the TADA but convicting him under the Arms Act and
sentencing him to six years imprisonment. However, in the course
of the hearing of his appeal, the CBI had opposed the actor's plea
challenging his conviction and sentencing.
A series of 13 car bomb blasts had ripped through Mumbai on March
12, 1993, resulting in the death of 257 people and injuries to
713. The locations that were targeted included fisherman's colony
in Mahim Causeway, Zaveri Bazaar, Plaza Cinema, Century Bazaar,
Katha Bazaar, Hotel Sea Rock, Sahar Airport, Air India building,
Hotel Juhu Centaur, the Bombay Stock Exchange Building and the
Passport Office.
The TADA court trial court of Justice P.D. Kode had commenced the
trial Nov 4, 1993, and pronounced its 4,230-page verdict on July
31, 2007.
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