Special court fines 1993 Mumbai blasts convict for 'obstructing judicial process

Feroze Khan

The special TADA court ordered 1993 serial blasts convict Feroze Khan to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 after his lawyer Wahab Khan refused to examine the two brought from Taloja jail, to depose for Feroze, on the point of sentence.

Wahab had examined Feroze on Tuesday on the point of sentencing, during which Feroze had begged for the life sentence instead of death.

Yes and no
Special CBI counsel Deepak Salvi cross-examined Feroze, who told the court that he has a case pending before the magistrate court in Thane, in which his father, a Navy officer, is also an accused.

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Feroze told the court that the case has been pending since January 2010 and till date charges have not been framed. An FIR in the case was registered after his arrest in the 1993 blasts case.

After Feroze's deposition, the court asked Wahab to examine the undertrial and the convict serving life in Taloja jail on the point of sentencing for Feroze. Wahab filed an application asking the court to discharge the two, saying he doesn't want to examine them at this stage. Special judge GA Sanap asked Wahab why, to which he replied that he didn't want to disclose the reason.

Judge Sanap then asked Salvi to file his say on Wahab's application. Salvi told the court that the two had been produced after great efforts and taking permissions from higher jail authorities.

Judgespeak
Judge Sanap then passed an order, directing Feroze to pay Rs 2,000 within four days. "…this exercise on part of the convict seems to be to achieve some purpose, presumably to delay the hearing and create unnecessary complication. The party or advocate has the right to change stand, but it shall not obstruct the judicial process in such an important trial. In this case, it seems the exercise was done without applying mind, or just to kill time," he observed.

On the order, Wahab told the court that Feroze was not in a situation to pay and that he (Wahab) had taken his case on a charity basis.

Rs 2k The fine slapped on convict Feroze Khan