12 years after triple blast rocked Mumbai, the trial begins

Twelve years after the ghastly triple blasts in Mumbai claimed 27 lives, the trial has commenced before a special court.

On July 13, 2011 evening, three blasts occurred in the crowded localities of Opera House at Zaveri Bazaar and at KabutarKhana in Dadar leaving 27 dead and 127 injured.

This was the first terror attack in Mumbai after the 26/11 Mumbai fidayeen strike.

The trial commenced before Additional Sessions Judge B D Shelke, who presides over a special court set up under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

The investigations were carried out by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra, which has arrested around a dozen people in the case.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had helped the ATS in the investigations.

The Maharashtra government has appointed advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the Special Public Prosecutor in the case.

A panch witness, who was present when doctors removed splinters from bodies of injured persons, was the first to depose.

The first device was planted on a motorcycle at Khau Galli in south Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar, the bullion hub, and exploded at 6.54 pm.

The second device, planted in a tiffin box outside Prasad Chambers and Panchratna Building, in the Opera House area on Charni Road, exploded at 6.55 pm, the hub of diamond trade.

The third device was placed on an electric pole at the Dr Antonio Da Silva High School BEST bus stand near KabutarKhana in Dadar area and exploded at 7.06 pm.

Yasin Bhatkal alias Mohammed Ahmed Siddibapa, one of the founders of Indian Mujahideen (IM) is the prime accused in the case, in which a total of 11 suspects stand trial.

As the probe progressed, ATS officials raided a Byculla flat where the suspects had hidden and assembled the explosives.

In fact, Yasin had played a very important role in procuring explosives and making Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Besides Bhatkal, the main accused are Naquee Ahmed, Nadeem Shaikh, Kanwar Pathrija, Haroon Naik, Mohammed Qafeel Ansari and Assadullah Akthar.

Those wanted in the case are Riyaz Bhatkal, Waqas Ibrahim Saad, Dubai-based Muzaffar Kolah and Tehseen Akhtar Shaikh.

The accused were booked under Indian Penal Code, Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, Explosives Act, Explosives Substances Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act and Unlawful Prevention of Activities Act.