Kochi: A day after finding them guilty, a special court here on Tuesday awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment to 18 convicts in the 2007 Vagamon SIMI camp case. In his order, NIA court judge Kausar Edapagath, however, said the period of detention undergone by the guilty while on remand would be set off against the sentence.
“Most of the 18 persons convicted have completed nine years in custody. However, since they are facing trial in another case — Ahmedabad serial blasts, they won’t be set free now,” said an officer of the NIA. “The punishment to be prescribed should have nexus with the gravity of the crime committed. The penological objective of deterrence and reformation also have to be considered,” the judge said in his verdict.
As per the case, a secret SIMI camp was held from December 10 to 12, 2007, at Thangalpara in Vagamon, months ahead of the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts. nThe probe by the NIA revealed the attendees were imparted training in handling arms, manufacture of petrol bombs, motorbike racing and rope climbing. Forensic evidence collected from the spot confirmed the use of explosives. The court granted one year RI and Rs 25,000 fine under Section 10 of UAPA, five years RI under Section 38 of UAPA, seven years RI and Rs 25,000 under the Explosive Substance Act and seven years RI under Section 120(B) to the convicted persons.
On Monday, the court found Saduli and P.A. Shibily — both natives of Kottayam, Mohamad Ansar and Abdul Sathar — both residents of Aluva, Hafeez Husain (Belgaum; Karnataka), Safdar Hussain Nagori, Aamil Parwaz (both from Ujjain; Madhya Pradesh), Mohammed Shami Bagewadi (Bijapur; Karnataka), Nadeem Sayeed (Belgaum), Mufti Abul Basheer (Azamgarh; Uttar Pradesh), Dr H.A. Asadullah (Bellary; Karnataka), Kamaruddin Nagori (Ujjain), Shakeel Ahammed (Dharwad; Karnataka), Dr Mirza Ahmed Beg (Bidar; Karnataka), Danish, Manzar Imam (both natives of Ranchi; Jharkhand), Mohammed Abu Faisal Khan (Andheri West; Mumbai) and Alamzeb Afridi (Ahmedabad; Gujarat) guilty.
Saduli, Hafeez Husain, Safdar Hussain, P.A. Shibily, Mohammad Ansar, Abdul Sathar, Aamil Parwaz, Dr H.A. Asadullah, Kamaruddin Nagori, Shakeel Ahmed, Dr Mirza Ahmed, Manzar Imam and Nadeem Sayeed were also found guilty under Section 20 of UAPA, They will undergo additional RI for seven years and pay a fine of Rs 50,000.
However, all the sentences run concurrently, the court said. “Apart from Abdul Sathar, Habeeb Falahi, Manzar Imam and Alam Jeb Afridi, all other accused have completed over seven years of imprisonment. But since all the 18 are also facing trial in serial blast case in Ahmedabad and some facing life imprisonment for similar SIMI camp case in Indore, they won’t be released,” the officer said. The court had acquitted 17 of 35 defendants who faced the trial commenced in January last year.
