Court verdict challenged in arms haul case

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday admitted an appeal filed by the ATS, challenging dropping of MCOCA from the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case by the trial court while passing judgment. The probe agency is also seeking enhancement of punishment for the convicts. The court has issued notices to all 20 accused and the matter will come up for hearing in due course. Abu Jundal, who is facing trial in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, is also one of the convicts in this case.

 The appeal filed by the ATS came up for hearing before a division bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice S.V. Kotwal. The ATS claimed that the special MCOCA court judge wrongly acquitted eight accused from the case and also decided incorrectly to drop MCOCA. The appeal claimed that the trial judge failed to consider evidence properly and also did not consider confessional statements of some of the accused.

 Apart from challenging the acquittal and dropping of MCOCA, the ATS is also seeking to enhance punishment for those who have been convicted.