1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict fined ₹2,000 for wasting court’s time

Mumbai city news: Firoz Khan sought to examine two of his fellow inmates at Taloja Central Prison to prove that there were mitigating circumstances against awarding him capital punishment

The designated Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act – TADA – court on Wednesday fined Firoz Khan, a convict in 1993 Mumbai blasts case, Rs2,000 for wasting the court’s time.

The court recorded Khan’s deposition on Tuesday and called the two inmates to depose on Wednesday. After the prosecution cross-examined Khan, the court called on defence lawyer Wahab Khan to examine the two (HT)

Khan, convicted on Friday of playing a key role in the serial blasts, faces the death penalty. The TADA court on Friday held him guilty along with Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Tahir Merchant, Karimullah Khan and Riyaz Siddique, and acquitted Abdul Qayyum Shaikh.

Khan sought to examine two of his fellow inmates at Taloja Central Prison to prove that there were mitigating circumstances against awarding him capital punishment.

The court recorded Khan’s deposition on Tuesday and called the two inmates to depose on Wednesday. After the prosecution cross-examined Khan, the court called on defence lawyer Wahab Khan to examine the two.

Wahab, however, refused to do so, which irked special TADA judge GA Sanap and the prosecution. Wahab sought that the witnesses be discharged without being examined. The prosecution objected, saying the court should fine the accused for wasting the court and the state’s time.

“To bring the two accused, who were his co-inmates, the state had to waste lot of machinery, which comes at some cost. The defense should not be allowed to get away with this. Heavy cost should be imposed on the defense,” special public prosecutor Deepak Salvi argued. Judge G A Sanap agreed and fined Firoz.

Meanwhile, at the hearing’s conclusion, prosecution lawyers said they would open sentencing arguments on Thursday. They said they would seek the maximum possible punishment for the convicts, which would be the death penalty for Dossa, Khan, Tahir and Karimullah, and life in jail for Salem and Siddique.