NEW DELHI, Jan 12:
Three operatives of banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), arrested in 2012 for conspiring to carry out blasts in national capital on the instructions of their Pakistan-based handlers, were today sentenced to varying jail term of up to seven years by a court here.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Reetesh Singh sentenced LeT operatives Ahtisham Farooq Malik and Shafaqat Ali Tuggu to seven years jail each, while another convict Tawseef Ahmed Peer was awarded four-year imprisonment by the court.
The three convicts were held guilty of offences under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Malik and Shafaqat were also held guilty for offences under the Explosive Substances Act.
Besides them, the court awarded three months jail term to Saijee Anwar who was convicted for offences punishable under the provisions of IPC only, including Section 471 (using as genuine forged documents).
Later, the court suspended Anwar’s sentence and granted him bail for filing an appeal against his conviction.
They were convicted in the case lodged by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in 2012 in which it was alleged that Malik, an LeT operative, had come to Delhi to carry out terror strikes here on the instructions of his Pak-based handlers.
During the arguments on the quantum of sentence, advocate Akram Khan, appearing for the convicts, sought leniency for his clients saying they were arrested at the stage of planning itself and no terror incident had occured.
According to the police, they had received a tip-off about the arrival of Malik in Delhi on February 26, 2012. It said the input was regarding LeT’s plan to carry out terror strike here at the behest of their handlers.
It had said that Malik and Shafaqat were arrested from Tughlakabad extension area here on February 28, 2012 and during the search, a bag was recovered from Malik’s possession which contained explosives and detonators.
The police had claimed that Malik was an active member of LeT who had undergone training at Pakistan after which he had returned to India in January 2012 with a plan to carry out terror strike in Delhi.
Regarding Shafaqat, the police had said that he was one of the associates of Malik and was involved in the conspiracy.
It had said that Peer’s name had cropped up as one of the conspirators during Malik’s interrogation, following which he was also arrested in connection with the case.
Regarding Anwar, the police had alleged that he had helped Malik in procuring a mobile number on a fake identity proof.
In November 2013, the court had framed charges against Malik, Shafaqat and Peer under various Sections of the IPC, including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating), the Explosive Substances Act and under provisions of the UAPA.
Anwar was put on trial by the court for alleged offences under various Sections of the IPC including 120B, 420, 471 and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating). (PTI)
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