Charges framed against five bomb blast accused

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">MUMBAI: Designated POTA judge A P Bhangale on Tuesday framed charges against five suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants under POTA and various sections of the IPC for triggering the twin bomb blasts near Gateway of India and Zaveri bazaar on August 25, 2003 and hatching plans of exploding a powerful bomb in a bus at Ghatkopar on July 28, 2003.</span><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""> </span><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The five accused are Sayed Mohammed Hanif, his wife Fahimida and their accomplices Arshat Ansari, Mohammed Hussain alias Batterywala and Mohammed Rizwan alias Ladoowala.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Last year, nearly 53 people died and over 150 were injured in the twin blasts at Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar last year while two persons were killed and 31 injured when a powerful bomb exploded in a bus in suburban Ghatkopar.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told media persons that the five accused were charged for dealing with conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder under sections 3, 4, 5 (1) and 20 of POTA read with section 302, 307, 427 of the IPC and 9 (b) of the Indian explosives Act 1884 among others, Nikam said.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">He said the conspiracy of bomb blasts was hatched in Dubai by nine Pakistani nationals at the behest of LeT.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"However, currently, all the Pakistani nationals are absconding," Nikam said.It may be recalled that on December 6, 2002 police seized explosives from a bus in Santa Cruz Electronics Export processing Zone at suburban Andheri. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Likewise, two trunks of RDX material possessed by the accused was seized by the police and produced before the court on February 5, 2004 when the charge sheet was filed.</span></div> </div>