Death demanded for Mumbai guilty

The Mumbai blasts reverberations are felt to this day

Prosecution lawyers have demanded the death penalty for 44 people convicted in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case.

They include three brothers of the alleged mastermind behind the blasts, Mumbai underworld kingpin Tiger Memon.

More than 250 people were killed and at least 1,000 injured when bombs went off in the Indian financial capital on 12 March, 1993.

The trial - still unfinished after 13 years - is one of the longest in the Indian judicial history.

The BBC's Monica Chadha in Mumbai says that while arguing for maximum sentences for all 100 people found guilty, the prosecution divided them in three groups.

Of the 47 convicted of conspiring and planting explosives, they demanded death for all barring three people, for whom they demanded life sentences, she says.

This includes Tiger Memon's female relative Rubina Memon.

Maximum punishment

Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the BBC they had asked for a lesser sentence for these three because Rubina Memon is a woman and the other two were in poor health.

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has also been convicted in the trial

Of the 44 found guilty of aiding and abetting terrorist acts, the prosecution demanded life sentences for all except two old, ailing women.

Mr Nikam said they had left the sentencing of these two to the court.

For the remaining nine people found guilty under the Customs Act and Arms Act, the prosecution demanded the maximum sentence for each, varying from three to 10 years.

This category includes Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt.

The verdicts started being handed out in September last year and only finished in December.

The defence has been asked to make its final argument against the punishment demanded by prosecution on 23 February.

The judge is then expected to announce the final date for handing out the sentences.