Court convicts man over 2010 Pune bakery blast

The bombing of the packed German Bakery was the first major attack in India after the November 2008 assault on Mumbai by Islamist gunmen, which left 166 dead.

MUMBAI // A man was convicted yesterday over a blast which killed 17 people and wounded dozens more at a busy restaurant in the city of Pune three years ago.

A lower court in Pune in western India found Mirza Himayat Baig guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder for the attack on the packed German Bakery, where five foreigners were among those killed.

"Baig has been found guilty of all the key charges. He was a co-conspirator," the special public prosecutor Raja Thakare said.

Mr Thakare said that the court found Baig guilty of criminal conspiracy, murder and also under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act, among other counts.

Baig's sentence will be handed down on Thursday. Several others who are co-accused are still at large.

"We will file an appeal to the high court," Baig's counsel A Rehman said.

The bombing on February 13, 2010 in Maharashtra state was the first major attack in India after the November 2008 assault on Mumbai by Islamist gunmen, which left 166 dead.