Mumbai, July 28: The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Thursday delivered the verdict on the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case and found 12 accused including Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal guilty of waging war against the nation. The MCOCA court while pronouncing the judgment also acquitted 8 accused. Jundal was found guilty under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The MCOCA court said that this was a conspiracy after 2002 Gujarat riots to eliminate then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and VHP chief Pravin Togadia and convicted 12 accused in the Aurangabad arms haul case. The court said that this was a larger conspiracy to strike terror and they (accused) were calling it ‘jihad’. The trial, which had resumed in 2013 after Abu Jundal’s arrest, had concluded in March this year before the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Special Court here.
It pertains to the May 8, 2006 operation by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad in which three terror suspects travelling in a car were nabbed on the Chandwad-Manmad highway near Aurangabad. The ATS recovered from them 30 kg RDX, 10 AK-47 army assault rifles, 3,200 rounds of ammunition and other things, which were reportedly intended for carrying out terror strikes in the country.
Another suspect vehicle managed to give the slip to the ATS. It was believed to have been driven by Abu Jundal who escaped to Pakistan. After Abu Jundal was nabbed in 2013, he revealed to the ATS another hideout from where they recovered 13 kg RDX, 1200 cartridges, 50 hand grenades, 22 magazine rounds.
A total of 22 accused were arrested, including Abu Jundal who is accused plotting the 26/11 terror attacks. Earlier, the trial had been stayed by Supreme Court after one of the accused had challenged the constitutional validity of certain provisions in the MCOCA invoked on the accused. The stay was lifted in 2009.
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