2006 Aurangabad arms haul case: MCOCA court likely to announce its order on Abu Jundal today

Mumbai: A Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court is expected to announce its verdict on key plotter of 26/11 terror strikes, Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, in connection with the he 2006 Aurangabad Arms haul case.

The 22 arrested accused in the case include Lashkar-e-Toiba operative and key plotter of the 26/11 terror attack case Jundal.

On May 8, 2006, a Maharashtra ATS team chased a Tata Sumo and an Indica car on Chandwad-Manmad highway near Aurangabad and arrested three terror suspects and seized 30kg of RDX, 10 AK-47 assault rifles and 3,200 bullets.

The Indica, allegedly driven by Jundal, managed to give police the slip. Jundal, who hails from Beed district of Maharashtra, drove to Malegaon and a few days later he escaped to Bangladesh from where he fled to Pakistan, according to the state police.

He was deported to India from Saudi Arabia in 2012.

The court had last year framed charges against the LeT operative in connection with 26/11 attacks case.

Jundal was charged on 23 different counts, including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the nation, criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping for murder, cheating, forgery and for abetting the terror attack from Pakistan under Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had filed a charge sheet against Jundal in Delhi for conspiring to carry out terrorist activities in India, including the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The charge sheet against Jundal has details about his training in Pakistan, preparations ahead of 26/11, LeT hierarchy, the precise role played by those involved, etc.

According to Jundal's confession, LeT training camps enjoyed full support from local, federal police and paramilitary organisations in Pakistan.