Bombay High Court to expedite 7/11 Mumbai blasts appeal hearings

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has assured convicts of the July 2006 Mumbai train blasts that it will soon schedule hearings for their appeals against their convictions. This assurance comes as the 18th anniversary of the deadly 7/11 blasts, which killed more than 180 people, draws near.

Of the 12 convicts, five were sentenced to death and seven were given life imprisonment by a trial court in September 2015. The state government had also filed an appeal seeking confirmation of the death penalties. Furthermore, the convicts challenged their convictions and sentences in the court.

A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande noted the extensive delay and indicated that the pending appeals would be prioritized. Lawyers representing the convicts and the state agreed that a day-to-day hearing could wrap up the case within six months. The bench is expected to fix the hearing dates this week.