Himayat Baig, the lone arrested accused in the German Bakery blast case, was today convicted by a sessions court for murder, criminal conspiracy and other charges, more than three years after a powerful explosion rocked the popular eatery, killing 17 and wounding 64, in the first terror attack in Pune.
"Taking into consideration the evidence before me I am holding Baig guilty," Additional Sessions Judge N P Dhote said pronouncing his judgement.
The judge fixed April 18 for pronouncing the quantum of sentence for offences which are punishable with death.
Baig, a resident of Maharashtra's Beed district, was present in the court, which held him guilty under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substances), 474 (forgery), 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, language and doing acts prejudicial to maintainance of harmony and 120 (B) (Criminal Conspiracy) of IPC.
He was also convicted under various sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Explosive Substances Act.
The court accepted the prosecution's contention that it was a "carefully planned and executed attack calculated to terrorise the public in general by causing extensive damage to life and property and that the primary objective was to undermine and reduce faith of the common citizen in the elected government and destabilize the system of law".
The judge also upheld the prosecution charge that the terror attack was specially designed to cause damage to the lives of foreign nationals visiting the country and its reputation in the matter of security.
Of the 17 killed in the blast that brought Pune on the terror radar for the first time, five were foreigners.
LeT operative David Headley, in his testimony before a Chicago court in the trial of his accomplice Tahawwur Rana, had admitted that he had recced and taken photographs of the popular hang-out in Pune.
