7/11 trial reopens,adjourned

The Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind has contacted several criminal lawyers to defend the suspects. “Four lawyers,Abad Ponda,Ziaul Mustafa,R B Mokashi and Prakash Shetty,will appear for all the accused on the next date. We are approaching a few more senior counsels,” said Gulzar Azmi,general secretary of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind.

The 13 arrested accused are Faisal Shaikh,Ali Bashir Khan,Mohammad Ali,Majid Shafi,Sajid Ansari,Kamal Ansari,Ethesham Siddiqui,Zameer Shaikh,Sohail Shaikh,Muzammil Shaikh,Tanvir Ansari,Naveed Hussain and Abdul Shaikh.

The Jamiat also plans to move a fresh petition before the Bombay High Court challenging the decision to try the accused under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

“Earlier,a few of the accused had challenged a particular section pertaining to insurgency. We will now raise the aspect of pecuniary gain,which is mandatory for invoking such a stringent act in any case,” said Azmi.

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS),in its 10,000-page chargesheet,has stated that the accused were helped by terror outfit LeT. The first witness,a police sub-inspector,had deposed before a special MCOCA court in 2007,after which the accused approached the Supreme Court in December 2007 and the case was stalled ever since.

Timeline
July 11,2006: Seven blasts in train compartments. 187 dead,824 injured.

November 29: ATS files chargesheet of over 10,000 pages against 13 arrested,alleges Lashkar-e-Toiba plotted the attack.

November 18,2007: First witness,an officer with Borivali Railway police station,examined in court.

February 28,2008: Supreme Court stays trial after accused Zamir Shaikh challenges sections of MCOCA pertaining to insurgency.

April 22,2010: Supreme Court vacates the stay after turning down the plea