India anti-terror court sentences 3 to death for 1993 Mumbai bombings News
India anti-terror court sentences 3 to death for 1993 Mumbai bombings

[JURIST] An Indian TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities) court on Wednesday sentenced three defendants to death for their roles in the deadly 1993 Mumbai bombings [BBC backgrounder] that killed 257 people and injured more than 700 in India's financial center. The three defendants, Pervez Sheikh, Abdul Turq, and Mohammed Mushtaq Tarani, were issued death sentences after the court found they were involved in smuggling and deploying the explosive-laden vehicles used in the bombings. The court also sentenced 14 other defendants to life sentences.

In May, the special terror court issued its first sentences [JURIST report], giving five defendants three year prison terms for smuggling weapons and ammunition used by the terrorists on fishing vessels. The trial, which began in 1995, included testimony from 757 witnesses and has resulted in the conviction of over 100 defendants [JURIST report]. Over two-dozen suspects, including the alleged mastermind of the bombings, Dawood Ibrahim [BBC profile], remain at large. AFP has more.