R. Puranik, then the accused could attract the maximum death penalty,' Kunjuraman said.

Zahid Yusuf Patni offered to turn approver in the case in June 2004 and made a confession of his role in the terror attacks.

He revealed how he lived and worked in Dubai where he met Hanif, who had gone there to work as an electrician. There they met some other persons who provoked them 'to take revenge for the Gujarat riots of 2002'.

After hatching the blasts conspiracy in Dubai, they prepared themselves for the assignment with all the required resources and finally carried out the terror strikes in Mumbai.

Patni also revealed that he had been 'elected' as chief of the LeT module in Mumbai called 'Gujarat Defence-Revenge Force' and he directed all the blasts in the city.

Meanwhile, midway during the trial, a POTA Review Committee recommended that Laddoowala and Batterywala be discharged from the case for lack of evidence, but the POTA Special Court rejected it.

The matter was challenged before the Supreme Court which finally ordered their discharge in November 2008, proving a setback to the prosecution case, spearheaded by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

Incidentally, Nikam conducted the March 12, 1993, Mumbai serial blasts case and is also handling the Nov 26, 2008, Mumbai terror attacks case.

The duo was accused of connecting the timer with the detonator and preparing the other electrical circuits used in the bombs.

During the six-year long trial, 101 witnesses, including a taxi-driver who identified the accused planting the bomb in one of the taxis, were examined. Three Special POTA Judges conducted the trial - A.P. Bhangale, S.S. Joshi and currently, Special Judge Puranik.