he Bombay High Court has sought 🌄to ꦿknow from the Mumbai University if it can permit a convict in the 7/11 serial bomb blasts case to take his law examinations online.
A division bench of Justices Makar꧂and Karnik and Kamal Khata on Friday said owing to security reasons, the situation may warrant to permit the candidate, Mohammed Sajid Marghoob Ansari, to appear for his exams online.
On July 11, 2006, seven bomb blas🧔ts occurred in coaches of some local tr🀅ains in Mumbai, killing 189 persons and injuring 824 others.
In September 2015, 💙a speci🌃al court convicted Ansari and others in the blasts case.
Ansari had sought permission to appear for the second semester law examina🙈tions held by the Siddharth Law College in south Mumbai from May 3 to May 15.
The court then permitted him to physically appear for the exams an🌸d d🥃irected the Nashik central prison authorities to take him to the college on the exam dates.
On May 10, Ansar moved an application saying he could ꧑not appear for the papers he✱ld on May 3 and 9.
The prosecution said despite genuine♊ efforts made by the Nashik central prison authorities, Ansari could not be taken to the college on time🌄.
The bench directed the priso🎐n superintendent to file an affidavit by June 5, stating why there was a delay.
The court also asked advocate Rui Rodrigues, appearing for the Mumbai University, if Aꦓnsari could be permitted to appear for the exams online to which he said there was no such facility.
In the peculiar facts as in the present case, the situation may wꦅarrant, having regard to the security concerns, to permit the candidate to appear through the online mode, the HC said.
The court directed the Mumbai University to clarify its stand for permitting suꦓch candidates to appear through the online mode.
"We request theಞ competent authority of Mumbai Univers🐻ity to look into this aspect and after consulting with all concerned, including the ATS (Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad), place its stand on record," the court said.
Th🦩e bench also asked the university to say if the two exams that Ansari missed owing to circumstances beyond his control🌃 could be rescheduled.
The high court posted the matter for furtherꦕ hearing on June 10.
In 2015, Ansari got permission from the court to pursue the law degree course. In 2023, he got permꦕission to appear for the first semester exams.
The high court while granting permission to Ansari t𒈔o appear for the second semester exams noted that he has undergone actual imprisonment for more than 17 years and during his incarceration pursued further education.
The prosecution opposed his plea claiming he was a high risk p𒁃risoner convicted on serious charges.
