The Hindu : Front Page : Aftab Ansari, 6 others sentenced to death

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Thursday, Apr 28, 2005

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Front Page

Aftab Ansari, 6 others sentenced to death

Special Correspondent

Sentence subject to confirmation by the High Court

KOLKATA: A Special CBI Court on Wednesday sentenced to death Aftab Ansari and six others for the attack on the American Center here three years ago.

The Dubai-based Ansari and his six accomplices convicted by the Court on Tuesday, were sentenced to death under Section 121 of the Indian Penal Code for waging war against the State.

The death sentence, however, is subject to confirmation by the Calcutta High Court.

They were also awarded life imprisonment under Section 302 (murder) and given seven years under Section 307 (attempt to murder).

In the morning, Ansari, along with the six co-accused, were led out from their cells in the Presidency Jail, Alipore, where the court was held. The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Basudeb Majumdar, read out to each of the accused the charges framed against them.

Ansari, clad in a white shirt and blue jeans, reportedly looked unperturbed saying he and his followers were innocent. However, if the court held that he was guilty, he was prepared to accept its verdict.

Six others sentenced along with Ansari are: Rehan Alam, Musharat Hussain, Adil Hasan, Jamiluddin Nasser, Hasrat Alam and Shakir Akhtar.

The court had acquitted Dilip Patel and Shakil Mullick on Tuesday on grounds of insufficient evidence.

On January 22, 2002, Ansari and others had allegedly attacked the American Center, killing five policemen and injuring 15 others.

Two passers-by sustained injuries. All through the day, crowds milled around the jail which was under a security shield.

"They were framed"

UNI reports:

Ansari's lawyer Syed Imam said Ansari and the others were framed and falsely implicated in the case.

"We will definitely move an appeal court challenging the sentence,'' he said. "We will do what deems fit after receiving a copy of the judgment."

Mr. Imam said the accused were called into the small courtroom in the morning and asked to speak on the sentence.

``All of them pleaded not guilty and left everything to the judge. But the judge bypassed their innocence by handing out such a harsh sentence.''

He said the court did not take sanction from the President for prosecution under Sections 27 (3), 121 and 12A of IPC.

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