All you need to know about 2006 Mumbai train blasts case

The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on Wednesday sentenced five convicts to death for their involvement in Mumbai train serial blast case that took place on July 11, 2006.

Out of 12 convicts, the remaining seven convicts have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Ehtesham Sidduiqui, Asif Khan, Faisal Shaikh, Naveed Khan, Kamal Ansari, who were held guilty by the court have been sentenced to death. While, Dr Tanveer Ansari, Mohammed Ali, Sajid Ansari Mohamad Majid Shafi, Muzzammil Shaikh, Soheil Shaikh and Zamir Ahmed Shaikh have been awarded life imprisonment.

Here is a timeline of the events that occurred on July 7, 2006:

July 11, 2006, 6.20 pm: First bomb exploded between Khar and Santa Cruz station in the first class compartment of Western Railway suburban train which was running between Churchgate and Borivali. It was followed by 6 other blasts which killed 189 and injured 800 people. 

July 21, 2006: Three people connected with the blasts were arrested by police.

November 30, 2006: ATS chargesheet accused 13 people involved in the blasts who were arrested and 15 absconding accused were charged under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

June 21, 2007: The accused moved the Supreme Court and challenged the constitutional validity of MCOCA.

February 2008: Supreme Court ordered a stay on the trial of the accused.

September 23, 2008: Five Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives were arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch. The Crime Branch investigation showed that IM carried out the bombings.

February 13, 2010: Shahid Azmi who was the defence lawyer of the accused in 7/11 blasts was shot dead in his office in Mumbai.

April 23, 2010: Examination of the witnesses resumed and the stay on the trial was lifted.

August 20, 2013: Co-founder of IM, Yasin Bhatkal was arrested at the Indo-Nepal border. He is accused of taking arms and explosive training in Pakistan in 2006 to launch terror attacks.

August 20, 2014: Court resumed judgement of the 7/11 case and the trial concluded.

July 7, 2015: Parag Sawant who was injured in 7/11 Mumbai blasts died in Hinduja Hospital who was in coma for 7 years.

September 11, 2015: The special MCOCA court in Mumbai passed the verdict on the case in which 12 out of 13 have been convicted. Abdul Waheed Sheikh has been acquitted in 2006 7/11 Mumbai blast case.

September 23, 2015: The Prosecution demanded death sentence for eight convicts, and life for four others. 

The four key conspirators involved in the blasts along with several others:

1. Faisal Shaikh: Faisal Shaikh was alleged to have helped assembling bombs and planting them in the train that exploded at Jogeshwari station. He is Lashkar-e-Taiba's Mumbai chief.

He is said to have received arms training from Pakistan.

The conspiracy meetings of the 7/11 blasts were also held in his residence at Bandra.

2. Azam Cheema: Azam Cheema is commander-in-chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba and is also one of the key conspirators. 

3. Asif Khan Bashir Khan alias Junaid: He was alleged to have acquired Rexine bags, utensils, ammonium nitrate and detonators. He was even alleged to have planted bombs in the train which exploded at Borivali station.

4. Shaikh Mohammed Ali: It was alleged that bombs were assembled at his house and then carried to Churchgate station in Rexine bags.

Others accused are Majid Mohammed Shafi who is a resident of Kolkata, Sajid Margub Ansari, Kamal Ansari who has also received arms training in Pakistan. Ehteshaan Siddiqui, Zameer Shaikh, Muzzamit Shaikh, Sohail Shaik, Dr Tanvir Ansari, Naveed Hussain and Abdul Wahid Din Shaikh were also accused of orchestrating the blasts. Most of these conspirators are activists of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) group.