KOCHI: In what could be seen as a setback for National Investigation Agency (NIA), its special court in Kochi on Tuesday awarded seven years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) to 18 accused and set off their
remand period in the 2007 Wagamon SIMI Camp case at a time when most of them have completed 10 years in custody.
However, since the accused persons are facing trial in Ahmedabad serial blast case, they won't be set free now.
Due to issues in connecting the video conferencing system with Bengaluru jail, the proceeding to announce the verdict was delayed by half an hour. By 12 pm, the NIA Judge Kausar Edapagath -- his last day as Judge after he was promoted at Ernakulam Principal Session Court recently -- announced the verdict.
"The punishment to be prescribed should have nexus with the gravity of the crime committed. The penological objective of deterrence and reformation also have to be considered," NIA Judge Kausar
Edapagath stated in his verdict.
The secret camp by the banned Islamist organisation Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was held from December 10 to 12, 2007 at Thangalpara in Wagamon in Kerala's Idukki district as a prelude to the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts. Investigations had revealed that the participants were imparted training, in handling arms, manufacture of petrol bombs, motorbike racing, and rope climbing.
The court granted RI for 1 year and Rs 25,000 fine under section 10 of UAPA, 5 years of RI under section 38 of UAPA, RI for 7 years and Rs 25,000 Explosive Substance Act and RI for 7 years under
section 120(B) to convicted persons - Saduli, Kottayam, Kerala; Hafeez Husain, Belgaum, Karnataka; Safdar Hussain Nagori, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh; P A Shibily, Kottayam, Kerala; Mohamad Ansar, Aluva, Kerala; Abdul Sathar, Aluva, Kerala; Aamil Parwaz, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh; Mohammed Sami Begevadi, Bijapur, Karnataka; Nadeem Sayeed, Belgaum, Karnataka; Mufti Abul Basheer, Azamgarh,
Uttar Pradesh; Dr H A Asadullah, Bellary, Karnataka; Kamaruddin Nagori, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh; Shakeel Ahammed, Dharwad, Karnataka; Dr Mirza Ahmed Beg, Bidar, Karnataka; Danish, Ranchi, Jharkhand; Manzar Imam, Ranchi, Jharkhand; Mohammed Abu Faisal Khan, Andheri West, Mumbai and Alam Jeb Afridi, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Similarly, Saduli, Hafeez Husain, Safdar Hussain, P A Shibily, Mohammad Ansar, Abdul Sathar, Aamil Parwaz, Dr H A Asadullah, Kamaruddin Nagori, Shakeel Ahmed, Dr Mirza Ahmed, Manzar Imam and Nadeem Sayeed also found guilty for section 20 of UAPA will face additional RI for 7 years and fine of Rs 50,000.
The Court ordered the accused to face the sentence concurrently and set off the remand period from the sentenced imprisonment. Hence, apart from Abdul Sathar, Habeeb Falahi, Manzar Imam and Alam
Jeb Afridi all other accused have completed the sentence as they were in remand period for more than 7 years now.
However, the persons who completed the sentence period would not be released as they are facing trial in serial blast case in Ahmedabad and some are facing life imprisonment for similar SIMI camp case in Indore.
Last day, the court had acquitted 17 accused persons in the case. As many as 35 accused persons faced the trial which commenced on January 2017. There were 38 accused persons in the case in which one
accused Wasiq Billa is still absconding, Abdul Subhan Qureshi, the 38th accused and founder of Indian Mujahideen (IM) was only arrested this year. While Mehboob Sheikh was killed in Bhopal allegedly while attempting to escape from jail.
Wagamon SIMI Camp case is first in India in which trial is carried out using multi-point video conferencing system. The system connected NIA Court in Kochi with jails in Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Bengaluru.
The secret camp by the banned Islamist organisation Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was held from December 10 to 12, 2007 at Thangalpara in Wagamon in Kerala's Idukki district as a prelude to the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts. Investigations had revealed that the participants were imparted training, in handling arms, manufacture of petrol bombs, motorbike racing, and rope climbing.