Mumbai, Sep 23 (PTI): The prosecution on Wednesday demanded capital punishment for eight persons of the 12 convicted in the 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts, and life imprisonment for the remaining four.

However, the special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act hearing the case, reserved its order on sentencing for September 30.

Dubbing all the 12 convicts in the case as “merchants of death”, Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakare pressed for death to eight of them.

”Considering their role, eight convicts deserve death penalty,” he told the court.

Earlier this month, Judge Yatin Shinde convicted 12 accused while acquitting one person in the case.

On July 11, 2006, serial blasts on the suburban local trains killed at least 188 people and left over 800 injured. 

The convicts for whom death was sought are Kamal Ahamed Ansari, Dr Tanvir Ahmed Ansari, Mohammed Faisal Shaikh, Ehtesham Siddiqui, Shaikh Alam Shaikh, Mohammed Sajid Ansari, Naved Hussain Khan and Asif Khan.

For the remaining four convicts- Mohamid Majid Shafi, Muzzammil Shaikh, Soheil Shaikh and Zamir Ahmed Shaikh- Thakre told the court that it may consider punishment slightly on a different footing than the other eight.