New Delhi, Apr 16: The Supreme Court today rejected the petition filed on behalf of three Mumbai serial blast convicts - Zaibunissa Ansari, Ishaque Mohammed and Sharif Abdul Ghafoor, seeking time for surrender to serve their prison terms.
The apex court said, if it allowed the three convicts, there would a flood of similar petitions from other convicts and it would be practically impossible to deal with them.
The petitioners had said that their mercy petitions were pending with the President, and they be allowed time to surrender to police.
Zaibunissa Ansari, like actor Sanjay Dutt, was given five years imprisonment in the Arms Act case, while Ishaque and Sharif have been given life imprisonment for being part of conspiracy in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.
Zaibunnisa Anwar Kazi (70), Issaq Mohd Hajwane (76) and Shariff Abdul Gafoor Parker (88) alias Dadabhai had moved the apex court seeking more time to surrender in order to undergo sentences awarded to them.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir rejected their petitions, saying extension of time to surrender cannot be given on the ground that clemency plea is pending before the President.
The apex court had on March 21 upheld the TADA court's verdict of five-year jail term to Kazi who is suffering from cancer.
It has enhanced to life imprisonment the five-year jail term awarded to Hajwane by the trial court. He spent five years in prison during the trial in the case.
The life sentence was awarded by the TADA court to Parker was upheld by the apex court. He has already served over 14 years in jail.
Former Supreme Court judge and Press Council of India chief Markandey Katju had made a representation to the President on behalf of Kazi on March 18 and on behalf of the other two on April 10.
The writ petitions filed by them had pleaded that they they should not be asked to surrender till the representation made by Katju on their behalf is decided by the President.
The Mumbai serial blasts on March 12, 1993 had claimed 257 lives and injured over 700.
