Dec 13 verdict: All 4 guilty

While the three accused have been convicted under POTA, Indian Penal Code and Explosives Substances Act, Navjot Sandhu alias Afsan Guru, wife of Shaukat, has been convicted under IPC for not disclosing the conspiracy after being absolved of the charged of being herself involved in it.

Special Judge Dhingra found the three guilty of criminal conspiracy ‘‘with the intention to kill the Prime Minister, Home Minister and to make hostage all the MPs in Parliament’’.

When the order was read out, the courtroom was packed to capacity with reporters, PUCL members and the entire Special Cell team which had investigated the case. Navjot Sandhu, who was present in the room with her baby — born while she was in judicial custody — screamed several times and did not want anybody near her or her child.

After the order was read out, Shaukat Hussain Guru said ‘‘being Kashmiri, being Muslim, I’m honoured’’. Geelani, however, observed: ‘‘I’m worried for Indian democracy.’’ The five terrorists killed in the encounter that followed —Mohammed Haider, Hamza, Raja and Rana — were also held guilty. Judge Dhingra had reserved judgement in the case on November 25 after examining 85 of 185 witnesses.

The three accused were also held guilty of committing terrorist activities resulting in the death of nine security personnel of the Watch and Ward staff, including a gardener, and injuring 16 others. Mohammed Afzal and Shaukat Hussain were also convicted under POTA for harbouring and concealing the five deceased terrorists at various hideouts in Delhi.

Accusing them of collecting arms, ammunition, explosives and men, the court said, ‘‘they attacked Parliament when it was in session armed with lethal weapons and bombs.’’ They were armed with AK-47 and AK-56 rifles, grenade launchers, hand-grenades, rifle grenades, a car bomb and a body bomb.

The trial in the case had begun on July 8 after the court framed charges against the accused under POTA, Explosive Substance Act, Arms Act and under various sections of the IPC for terrorism, murder, conspiracy and possession of explosive devices.

A day after the attack, Geelani and Afsan Guru had been arrested from Delhi while Afzal and Shaukat were arrested from Srinagar on December 15. Among the several recoveries in the case was a Compaq laptop which the police had seized from Afzal and Shaukat.

The laptop contained news clippings of Indian political leaders in Parliament. The police had also recovered explosives from the Delhi residences of Afzal and Shaukat.

The chargesheet which was filed on May 14 by the Special Cell named Pakistan’s ISI as the one which conspired to threaten the security of India and executed the plan through banned terrorist outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba.