Mumbai blasts case: Prosecution to start argument on sentence

Mumbai: Defence lawyers of the 10 accused convicted for their roles in the Mumbai blasts during 2002 and 2003 today concluded arguments on the quantum of sentence before the special POTA court here.

"From tomorrow the prosecutor will start her arguments," defence lawyer Sharif Sheikh told PTI.

The defence lawyers pleaded for leniency and minimum sentences for the accused, saying they went through a lot of hardships from the time of their arrests.

Special POTA court judge P R Deshmukh on March 29 convicted 10 of the 13 accused.

Twelve people were killed in Mulund train blasts on March 13, 2003. Before that, on December 6, 2002, several persons were injured in a blast at McDonald's at Mumbai Central station, while a person died in a blast in a market in Vile Parle (East) on January 27, 2003.

While arguing for the key accused and bomb planter Muzammil Ansari, advocate Sheikh had told the court he was "just an arrow and not the archer".

It was the wanted accused Tahir Janab Ansari who instigated Muzammil, the lawyer said.