HC allows plea against providing papers to 26/11 mastermind Jundal; trial to resume after 7 years

Mumbai, Nov 3 (PTI) The stalled trial in the 26/11 terror attacks case against alleged mastermind Abu Jundal is set to resume after seven years with the Bombay High Court on Monday quashing a lower court order directing authorities to hand over confidential documents to the accused.

A bench of Justice R N Laddha allowed the petition filed by the Delhi Police, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the Ministry of External Affairs, which had challenged the trial court's 2018 order directing them to hand over confidential documents to Jundal.

Pending the petition, the trial against Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, a mastermind and handler of the 10 Pakistani terrorists who carried out the November 2008 attacks on Mumbai had been on hold since 2018.

While the Special Cell of the Delhi Police claimed the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative was nabbed from outside airport in the national capital, the accused had insisted he was arrested in Saudi Arabia and then deported to India.

He had filed an application before a special court in Mumbai seeking certain documents to prove his claim.

In 2018, the trial court had directed authorities to furnish the documents sought by Jundal.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, sought quashing of the trial court order, arguing it was bad in law.

The HC on Monday allowed the petition and quashed the special court's order.

Ten heavily armed Pakistani terrorists carried out deadly attacks across Mumbai after entering the financial capital from the Arabian Sea on the night of November 26, 2008, killing 166 people, including foreigners.

According to investigators, Jundal played a key role as a handler of the terrorists, one of whom, Ajmal Kasab, was caught alive.

Kasab was convicted and sentenced to death by a special court in 2010. He was hanged in Pune's Yerwada Jail in November 2012. PTI SP RSY