Charges were framed on Tuesday against 13 people allegedly linked to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India by a special court in Mumbai for the July 11, 2006, Mumbai train bombings.

A Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court framed the charges a little over a year after the blasts that killed 187.

Judge Mrudula Bhatkar then adjourned the matter till August 21 and allowed the accused to approach a competent court to take up their request for the transfer of their trial from her court.

She said that if the accused believed they would not get an impartial trial in her court, they could approach a competent court for transferring the trial to another judge.

Declining to accept the charges framed against them, all the accused refused to sign the form recording their plea, either citing a lack of faith in the court or seeking the transfer of the case to another judge.

The charges were framed against them under MCOCA, IPC, Railways Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act.

The 13 accused who are in custody are Kamal Ansari, Tanvir Ansari, Faisal Shaikh, Ehtesham Siddqui, Mohammed Majid Shafi, Shaikh Mohammed Ali Shaikh, Sajid Ansari, Abdul Wahid Shaikh, Muzzamil Shaikh, Soheil Shaikh, Zameer Ahmed Shaikh, Naveed Hussain Khan and Asif Bashir Khan.

Two alleged accused were killed, while 15 people, including senior LeT operatives Azam Cheema and Rizwan Dawrey, are wanted for the blasts that were investigated by Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorist Squad.

Explosions ripped through seven suburban trains on July 11, 2006, in the biggest terror attack in Mumbai since the 1993 blasts. A total of 824 people were also injured.