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More death sentences for India's worst bombings

19 Jul 2007 10:08:36 GMT
Source: Reuters

MUMBAI, July 19 (Reuters) - An Indian court sentenced three Muslim men to death on Thursday for their roles in India's worst bombings, taking to six the number of people condemned to capital punishment over the 1993 attacks that killed 257 people.

The three -- Asgar Yusuf Mukadam, Shahnawaz Qureshi and Mohammed Shoaib Ghansar -- left a car and a scooter packed with high explosives near a cinema and a crowded market in India's financial capital. The two bombs killed 27 people.

In all there were 13 explosions at Mumbai landmarks, including the main stock exchange. Police say they were ordered by India's most-wanted man, gangster Dawood Ibrahim, to avenge the razing of the historic Babri mosque by Hindu hardliners in 1992.

"Their existence will cause danger in future and hence these are rarest of rare cases," judge P.D. Kode said in a packed courtroom inside a high-security prison.

"Death sentence is an exception but it is awarded when life sentence is inadequate."

The anti-terrorism court found 100 people guilty after a nearly 14-year trial and has so far punished 84, six of them with death penalty but most others with varying jail terms and fines for planning and abetting the attacks or for illegal possession of arms.

Those sentenced so far include smugglers, petty criminals and a Bollywood producer, as well as policemen and customs officials who took bribes to let the explosives through.

An 83-year-old man is among those jailed for life for planning the blasts.

The death sentences still have to be ratified by the Supreme Court. All the bomb planters are Muslims and they have told the court that they participated in the conspiracy to avenge the demolition of the mosque and ensuing riots in which many Muslims were killed.

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Last updated:Thu Jul 19 10:10:00 2007