Mumbai: After a break of two years, two key
witnesses today deposed in the 2006 serial bomb blasts trial
which resumed amidst tight security in a designated
Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) here.
The trial had been stayed by the Supreme Court earlier as
the accused had challenged the applicability of MCOCA.
A total of 187 people were killed and over 800 injured
when a series of bomb blasts ripped apart compartments in
local trains of Mumbai on July 11, 2006.
Station masters of Khar and Bandra railway stations said
today saying they had rushed to the platform on hearing a loud
noise. They saw compartments ripped open by a powerful
explosion and bodies lying on the floor with mangled flesh and
blood splattered all over. Many injured were wailing in pain,
they told prosecutor Raja Thakre.
Both the witnesses were cross examined by defence lawyer R
B Mokashi.
The apex court had in February, 2008, stayed the trial
after accused Kamal Ansari moved the court challenging the
constitutional validity of a section pertaining to insurgency
in Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
The Supreme Court had on April 25 this year dismissed the
petition and vacated the stay on the trial.
All the 13 accused were present in the court today. The
trial will be conducted on a day-to-day basis. The media was
not allowed in the court due to space constraints.
-PTI
