Mumbai businessman jailed in Spain for terror plot

Mumbai: An anti-terrorism court in Spain has sentenced a Mumbai-based businessman and 10 Pakistani nationals to jail terms ranging from 8 to 15 years for plotting to blow up Barcelona Metro.

Roshan Jamal Khan has been sentenced to jail for eight-and-a-half years for being part of the group which planned terror attacks in Barcelona city in Spain, his brother Mehboob told PTI in Mumbai on Thursday.

"We shall file an appeal in a higher court within 10 days but meanwhile we will appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene and urge the Spain authorities to make the evidence against Roshan Jamal public," Mehboob said.

Reacting sharply to the verdict delivered on Monday against Roshan, he said, "We believe that Roshan is innocent and there is no evidence against him. Merely on the basis of a statement given by an individual that Roshan and others were planning suicide attacks on Barcelona Metro and other places, the court should not have convicted him."

Roshan's family, including his wife, four sons and two daughters, who live in suburban Jogeshwari are in a state of shock, Mehboob said.

Roshan, who was holding export-import licence, was on a business trip to Spain on a three-month visa when he was arrested from a Mosque in Barcelona with 14 others on January 19 last year.

He spent nearly two years in jail there and his family had made a fervent appeal earlier to the Prime Minister, the External Affairs Ministry and the Spanish Consulate General to intervene and urge Spanish authorities to release Roshan but their plea was not heard, his brother claimed.

Roshan, a graduate from St Xavier's College and a heavy weight boxing champion of Bombay University, had been to Spain earlier also in the course of his business, Mehboob said.

Altogether 15 people were arrested on charges of plotting to carry out suicide attacks in Barcelona Metro and other parts of the city. Four were released later while Roshan and 10 others were tried.

Shahid Iqbal, a Pakistani national, got 14-and-a-half years imprisonment along with Qadeer Malik for possessing weapons and being part of the group which had planned terror attacks in Spain.

Maroof Ahmed Mirza, identified as the leader of the group, received ten and a half years prison term for participating in the conspiracy.