Mumbai’s Special MCOCA court today awarded life imprisonment to seven of the convicts, including key Lashkar-e-Toiba operative Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case. Pronouncing the sentence, designated Judge Shrikant Anekar said all the seven convicts will serve imprisonment till their natural life. These include Mohammed Aamir Sheikh, Billal Ahmed, Sayed Akif, Afroz Khan, Mohammed Aslam Kashmiri and Faizal Ataur Rehman.

Out of the remaining five convicts, the court sentenced two convicts, namely Mohammed Mujaffar Tanvir and Dr Mohammed Sharif to 14 years imprisonment while three others were sent to eight years of jail.

All the convicts have also been fined Rs.20,000 each.

While pronouncing the sentence, the court said it had considered the gravity of offence, lack of remorse from the accused and potential effect on common man. The court also observed that the accused had a common thought process and wanted to wage “jihad”.

Last week, the court had convicted 12 persons and acquitted eight others in the case.