FEATURED POST

Unveiling Singapore’s Death Penalty Discourse: A Critical Analysis of Public Opinion and Deterrent Claims

Image
While Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) maintains a firm stance on the effectiveness of the death penalty in managing drug trafficking in Singapore, the article presents evidence suggesting that the methodologies and interpretations of these studies might not be as substantial as portrayed.

India: Pune German Bakery case: Convict’s death penalty commuted to life term

Mirza Himayat Baig
Death sentence set aside for Mirza Himayat Baig
The Bombay high court on Thursday set aside the death sentence to Mirza Himayat Baig in the 2010 Pune German bakery blast case, acquitting him of all charges except two, for which he will serve a life sentence.

Baig’s life imprisonment was upheld under section 474 of the Indian Penal code for possession of forged documents intending to use it as genuine, and under 5 (B) of the explosives substance act for possession of explosives under suspicious circumstances.

A division bench comprising Justices N H Patil and S B Shukre had been hearing the prosecution’s arguments on a day-to-day basis since August this year, seeking confirmation of the death sentence awarded to Baig, the lone convict in the case.

Baig was arrested in September 2010 and convicted based on the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) investigations for the blast that killed 17 people and injured 58 people, including several foreign nationals. In 2013, a Pune court awarded the death penalty to Baig for his involvement. The case was then referred to the high court as per procedure to get the sentence ratified.

The special public prosecutor Raja Thakare urged the court to ratify the death sentence, but the defence counsel maintained that evidence against Baig had been fabricated by the investigating agencies.

Baig’s counsel, senior advocate Mehmood Pracaha, told the court that prosecution had been able to establish only some chunks of the ‘conspiracy’ and failed to link others to “establish the complete conspiracy”. 

Pracha further raised doubts on the explosive substance allegedly seized by the ATS from Baig and questioned the veracity of the CCTV footage produced in court. The video allegedly showed Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal, the alleged mastermind of the conspiracy, inside German Bakery on the day of the blast.

Source: Hindustan Times, March 17, 2016

- Report an error, an omission: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com - Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Most Viewed (Last 7 Days)

California | San Quentin begins prison reform - but not for those on death row

Missouri Supreme Court declines to halt execution of man who killed couple in 2006

Oklahoma | Death row inmate Michael DeWayne Smith denied stay of execution

Indonesia | Bali Prosecutors Seeking Death on Appeal

Ohio dad could still face death penalty in massacre of 3 sons after judge tosses confession

China | Former gaming executive sentenced to death in poisoning of billionaire Netflix producer

Iran | Couple hanged in the Central Prison of Tabriz