Mulund blast case: Bail plea of convicts to be heard on May 5

Ateef’s lawyer Mubin Solkar has pleaded that as his client was the first to get bail among all the accused nearly seven years ago and had been out of jail ever since, he be granted bail again. On the other hand, Sudip Pasbola, appearing for Hasib, argued that his client has already spent eight years behind bars.

Hasib Zubair Mulla

Collectively, they argued that both these men had been exonerated of charges of conspiracy, and had been held guilty solely on the charge of arms possession.

Read | 2002-03 Mumbai blasts: 3 including Muzammil Ansari get life in jail, key accused gets 10 yrs 

The lawyers also pleaded that they needed time to prepare for the hearing of the appeal challenging the sentence, and hence the bail arguments be heard first. The court consequently issued a notice to the government.

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Both accused were convicted under section 4 (A) of POTA, 2002 and various sections of the Arms Act. After spending nearly eight years in prison, Hasib has to complete less than a two-year term. Ateef has spent two years and nine months in prison, and is facing a jail term of around seven years.

On December 6, 2002, three explosions took place at a McDonalds outlet at Mumbai Central Railway station, injuring 25 people. The second blast was on January 27, 2003 at Mungibai Market in Vile Parle East, in which a woman died and 32 others were injured. The third bomb went off on March 13, 2003 in a Karjat-bound local train when it was pulling in to Mulund station. Eleven people had died and 82 others were injured in this blast.

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