BENGALURU: Though the three operatives of the banned terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen, who were recently convicted in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium twin blast case, were not directly involved in preparing, transporting and planting the explosives, the court observed while awarding that sentence that the fine to be imposed must send a strong message to anti-social elements who work against the State.
While other accused persons in the case were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act an the IPC, the police, who had investigated the case, had booked the three accused persons - Gauhar Aziz Khomani, Kamal Hassan alias Kamaal, Mohammed Kafil Aktar - only under the provisions of the UAPA and IPC.
The Special NIA Court held the accused guilty of all the charges and sentenced them to undergo seven years of imprisonment, including one year rigorous imprisonment, on Monday.
Though the accused had requested for leniency, judge Siddalinga Prabhu rejected their plea.
“It is most relevant and pertinent to mention here in that admittedly there is no allegation of any overt act as against accused Nos. 5 (Khomani), 12 (Kamaal) and 13 (Aktar)... However, the conspiracy being against the State, these accused persons deserves no concession nor leniency in the quantum of fine. The fine to be imposed must give proper signal to the Anti-Social Elements who work against the State,” the Judge Siddalinga Prabhu observed in the judgement.
The charge against the three suspects was that they had participated in the conspiracy camps at a flat that belonged to accused no. 6 in the case, Mohammed Tharikh Anjum Ahsan alias Tariq, at Okhla in Jamia Nagar of New Delhi, and two other conspiracy meetings held at other places. The meetings in Delhi were held in the month of February 2010 and the accused had agreed to assist prime accused Yasin Bhatkal and others in Jihad and committing terrorist acts, and to cause a series of bomb blasts through out the country including the blast at KSCA stadium, with an intention to give threat to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the union of India and to strike terror in the people and thereby to convert India into an Islamic state.
Besides, they were charged for being a member of a terrorist outfit, giving shelter to other accused though fully aware that they were committing terrorist activities and not informing the authorities when they had complete knowledge of the intention of other accused persons. In addition to these charges, Aktar was accused of propagating Jihad among Muslim youngsters who used to visit the library at Darbhanga, where he worked as a librarian during 2009-10, at the behest of Yasin Bhatkal, Riaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal.