Court rejects 13/7 blast convict’s plea

Mumbai: A special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on Friday rejected the discharge application filed by Naquee Ahmed Shaikh in the 13/7 Mumbai bomb blast case.  

Special MCOCA judge Shridhar M Bhosle rejected the discharge application filed by Shaikh in the triple blast case.   

Shaikh’s lawyer had contended before the court that there is no iota of evidence against the applicant. The defence lawyer had contended that the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) falsely implicated him in this case and that there was no evidence against him to prove his involvement in the crime.  

On the other hand special public prosecutor Ujjval Nikam had opposed the discharge plea saying there are enough evidence against Shaikh and the court shouldn’t discharge him.  

In the past the MCOCA court had discharged another accused Abdul Mateen Damada alias Farooq from this case. Damada was arrested from Goa airport on July 15, 2011. He was suspected to be involved in the case by ensuring that funds reached arrested Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal to trigger the explosions.

However, the agency had informed the court that it could not collect sufficient evidence against him to submit charge sheet against him. Following this the court had discharged him.

Three powerful blasts had ripped through crowded areas in Mumbai on the evening of July 13, 2011, killing at least 21 people and injuring 141.

Earlier, seven accused namely Yasin Bhatkal, Asadullah Akhtar alias Tabrez, Naquee Ahmed, Nadeem Shaikh, Kanwar Pathrija, Haroon Naik, Mohammed Qafeel Ansari, Waqas Ahmed and Tahsen Akhtar were held in the case and are facing trial under MCOCA.