Trial in 7/11, other MCOCA cases stayed again

Six months after it stayed trials in three cases filed under MCOCA, including the 7/11 Mumbai serial blasts case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the interim stay and adjourned the matter till October, when the court hoped a judgment in a 8220;similar case8221; would be pronounced.

Extending the interim stay ordered on February 29, the Bench comprising Justices L S Panta and R V Raveendran, suggested that the counsel wait for a decision in the said case. 8220;It might have a bearing on the cases in question,8221; said Justice Raveendran to Shakil Ahmed Syed, advocate for Zameer Ahmed Latifur Rehman, who had challenged the constitutional validity of certain provisions in the Maharasthra terror law. The matter will be heard on October 14.

On February 29, the Bench headed by Justice B N Agarwal had ordered an interim stay on the trial in the Mumbai serial blasts case, till further orders. Besides the 7/11 case, it had also halted proceedings in the Special MCOCA court pertaining to four bomb explosions that took place on September 8, 2006 at Malegaon. The trial in another case relating to seizure of arms in Aurangabad on May 9, 2006, was also stayed.