Defence seeks time,train blasts trial to resume today

Defence lawyer R B Mokashi,appearing for three accused,said,“The chargesheet is voluminous,over 10,000 pages. Time is needed to go through each detail before the prosecution leads its evidence.”

The 5th-floor courtroom,with proceedings presided over by special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Judge Y D Shinde,was turned into a fortress. There was heavy deployment of security personnel,including riot control police. Other than cops in uniform and lawyers no one was allowed to move on the corridor outside the courtroom. For reasons unknown to the press,media was not allowed into the courtroom,although the trial is not in-camera.

After the defence lawyers sought time,the 13 accused made several applications for reasons like meeting relatives,calling home,facilities in prison and medical attention. The court allowed almost all.

Trial in the case had been stayed in 2008,along with trials in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case and the Aurangabad Arms haul case,after a petition challenging a section pertaining to insurgency in MCOCA. The stay was vacated in April this year.

The 13 suspects allegedly had LeT links.