Mumbai, June 22: Mumbai High Court would tomorrow hear a reference made by Maharashtra government for confirmation of death sentence imposed on three alleged Chhota Shakeel gangsters in the sensational case of multiple murders and brutal attack on former city mayor Milind Vaidya. An appeal, filed by the convicts against the death sentence imposed by a sessions court will also be heard tomorrow. It will be argued by defence lawyers Majeed Memon and Sirish Gupte.

The government's reference as well as appeal filed by the convicts had come up for hearing in the first week of May before Justice S S Parkar and Justice S K Shah who deferred the matter till June 23 as the matter was time-consuming and arguments are expected to go on for a month.

The convicts are Mohammed Zubair Kasam Shaikh Tabrez, Fazal Mohammed Shaikh and Azizuddin Zairuddin Shaikh. They were convicted on September 5, 2000 by designated judge A P Bhangale under provisions of IPC and MCOCA, a stringent act.

In a dare-devil shoot-out, the trio had opened fire indiscriminately on the people at a public place when they were speaking to former mayor Milind Vaidya outside Shiv Sena office at Mahim in Central Mumbai on March 4, 1999.
Vaidya and nine others were seriously injured in the firing. Later, three of them succumbed to injuries in hospital. However, Vaidya survived the attack.


Bureau Report