A Mumbai court is likely to announce the sentence for the 12 convicts in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case.

The special judge at the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court, Yatin D Shinde, had on Friday declared 12 of the 13 accused guilty. 

Besides murder, the accused were found guilty of various charges under the Indian Penal Code, MCOCA, Indian Railways Act, Explosives Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

While five accused have been found guilty of murder, all the 12 have been found guilty under MCOCA's Sec. 3-1(1) – both attracting the death penalty, Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakre said.

The 12 convicts are – Kamal Ahamed Ansari, 37, Tanvir Ahmed Ansari, 37, Mohd Faisal Shaikh, 36, Ehtesham Siddiqui, 30, Mohammad Majid Shafi, 32, Shaikh Alam Shaikh, 41, Mohd Sajid Ansari, 34, Muzzammil Shaikh, 27, Soheil Mehmood Shaikh, 43, Zamir Ahmad Shaikh, 36, Naveed Hussain Khan, 30, Asif Khan, 38.

The special MCOCA court had found them all guilty in the serial train blasts case on 6 August, 2007.

Abdul Wahid Din Mohhamad Shaikh, 34, accused number eight in the case, was acquitted.

Another prime accused in the case, Azam Chima, who is alleged to have links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba, is absconding. Seventeen others, including 13 Pakistani nationals, are also at large.

At least 188 people were killed and 829 injured when seven RDX bombs kept in seven first-class compartments of Mumbai local trains on various stretches went off on 11 July, 2006.

The bombs kept in pressure cookers on the north-bound trains exploded at or near Khar Road-Santacruz, Bandra-Khar Road, Jogeshwari-Mahim Junction, Mira Road-Bhayander, Matunga-Mahim Junction and Borivali in a span of 11 minutes.

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested the 13 accused between 20 July, 2006 and 3 October, 2006. The ATS had said the suspects belonged to Pakistan's ISI, Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the banned SIMI.

(With IANS inputs)

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