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Afghanistan/South Asia
India court finds seven guilty in US centre attack
2005-04-27
An Indian court convicted seven men on Tuesday for killing five policemen who were guarding US government offices in the eastern city of Calcutta more than three years ago, an official said. The policemen were killed when two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire with automatic weapons outside the American Centre that houses US trade and cultural offices. Another 17 people, mainly policemen, were wounded.

"The seven accused were convicted on charges of waging war against the state...," Public Prosecutor Ashok Bakshi told reporters outside the high-security Presidency jail, where the men were held. He said Judge Basudeb Majumder, who held court hearings inside the jail due to security concerns, would announce sentences on Wednesday for the seven men. Within days of the attack, police gunned down two men who officials said were members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, adding that one of dead men had taken part in the Calcutta raid. The other is still missing.
Posted by:Fred

#2  The Lord loves a man who Posts.
Posted by: Gawd   2005-04-27 5:29:46 PM  

#1  Gallows for seven in American Center attack

A city court on Wednesday handed out death penalty to Dubai-based underworld don Aftab Ansari and six others for the attack outside the American Center here that left five policemen dead five years ago.

The acting chief judge of the civil and sessions court, Basudeb Majumdar, on Tuesday found the group of seven — Ansari, Rehan Alam, Adil Hassan, Hasrat Alam, Shakil Akhtar, Musharat Hussain and Jamaluddin Nasser — guilty of using banned and sophisticated arms to kill. This is a crime under Section 27 (C) of the Arms Act and can only draw the death sentence. Public prosecutor Nabakumar Ghosh said another charge — sedition — almost always fetched capital punishment.

Ansari, apparently, was prepared for what was coming at the end of an in-camera session held under tight security. "You’ve seen all the evidence and know whether I’m innocent. I’m prepared for any punishment you deem fit," defence counsel Shahid Imam quoted him as saying The defence said it would go appeal against the judgment in Calcutta High Court.

The hearing began at 11:10 am, starting with Ansari, and taking about 10 minutes each with the six others. The pronouncement came around 4.50 pm. When the verdict finally came, it was the steepest death figure to be handed down in a single case. They are among the 15 chargesheeted by Kolkata Police for the American Center strike on 22 January 2002. Police are yet to lay hands on six of the accused. Two were acquitted on Tuesday. Another was killed in an encounter at Hazaribagh a week after the attack.
Posted by: john   2005-04-27 4:40:18 PM  

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