Srinagar: A Delhi court Thursday awarded death penalty to three persons including two Kashmiri’s and sentenced one Kashmiri with life imprisonment in the 1996 Lajpat Nagar bomb blast case. It also handed down seven-year life imprisonment and four year and two month imprisonment to two other accused.
District and Sessions Judge S P Garg awarded death sentence to three persons including Mirza Nissar Hussain of Kailashpora, khanyar, Srinagar, Mohammad Ali Bhatt of Hasanabad, Rainawari, Srinagar, and Mohammad Naushad of Delhi.
The court pronounced rigorous life imprisonment to one Javed Ahmed Khan who was found guilty of serious offences of murder, conspiracy and attempt to murder under the IPC with the three convicts who got death penalty. It also imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on him.
The court also sentenced Farooq Ahmed Khan of Malai Sadak Janglat Gali, Anantnag, to seven years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs.5, 000 was imposed on him.
Farida Dar, alias Farida Behanji, of Natipora, Srinagar, a kashmiri woman pro-freedom leader and the lone woman convict held guilty for a lesser offence, was awarded a jail term of four years and two months. A fine of Rs.10, 000 was also imposed on her.
Farida and Farooq were convicted for offences like possession of explosives that carry a maximum punishment of seven years.
The blast took place on May 21, 1996 evening in the busy Central Market area of Lajpat Nagar, when explosive laden stolen Maruti car went off at around 6:30 pm, killing 13 people and injuring 39 others.
Subsequently, Police blamed the Jammu and Kashmir Islamic front (JKIF) was behind the blasts and arrested 10 persons including a Farida by tracing the phone calls made by them to various media houses claiming responsibility for the attack.
Police also arrested Mohammadd Naushad, Mohd Ali Bhatt, Mirza Nissar, Javed Ahmed Khan, Farooq Ahmed Khan, Mirza Iftikhar, Latif Ahmed Waza, Syed Maqbool Shah and Abdul Gani in the case.
On August 26, 1996 Delhi Police filed a charge sheet in court against the 10 accused. It also produced a list of 201 witnesses. On November 20, 2000, Court framed charges of murder, attempt to murder, anti-national activities and charges under the explosives Act. The accused pleaded not to be guilty.
In September last, the District judge Delhi transfers the case to court of Additional Session Judge S.P. Garg where hearing began on Sep 7. On March 30, this year Court defers verdict in the case.
On April 8, 2010 this year, the Court convicts six accused and acquits four. On April 13, the court heard the quantum of sentence in the case.
The remaining four -- Mirza Iftikhar, Latif Ahmed Waza, Syed Maqbool Shah and Abdul Gani -- were acquitted of all the charges for want of sufficient evidence on April 8. (PBI)
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