1993 Mumbai blasts case: Fate of Abu Salem, four others to be decided by TADA court today

Almost 24 years after 12 bombs ripped Mumbai apart, the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) Court would pronounce the quantum of punishment against five convicts of the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasts Case on Thursday.

On 16 June, 2017 , the TADA court had convicted six accused, including gangster Abu Salem and Mustafa Dossa. Dossa died of a heart attack on 28 June. [caption id=“attachment_2388370” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of 1993 blast convict Abu Salem. PTI[/caption] The others convicted by the court include Firoz Khan, Mohammed Tahir Merchant alias Tahir Taklya, Karimullah Khan and Riyaz Ahmed Siddique. The court had acquitted Abdul Qayoom. The TADA court had convicted all except Siddiqui under charges including murder, criminal conspiracy and other sections under the Indian Penal Code, TADA Act, Explosive Substances Act, Explosives Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Siddiqui was convicted under Section 3 (3) of the TADA Act,  The Indian Express reported. This was the second leg of the trial in the serial blasts case involving seven accused by TADA court, reported The Times of India. The trail was separated from the main case as they were arrested at the time of conclusion of the main trial. In the first part of the trial that ended in 2007, the anti-terrorism court had convicted 100 people, out of which 23 were eventually acquitted, reported NDTV. In 2015, Yakub Memon was hanged in connection with the same case, . The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had sought life term for Abu Salem, Tahir Merchant and Karimullah Khan. Although, Salem, was extradited from Portugal in 2005 under Section 34C of the Extradition Act under which he cannot be given capital punishment. Salem was accused of transporting weapons from Gujarat to Mumbai. The court, in all, recorded statements of around 750 prosecution witnesses and 50 witnesses. Three accused including Salem had confessed to their crime. Though the hearing in the case began in 2007, it was delayed as three petitions were pending with the Supreme Court, one each filed by Mustafa Dossa and Salem, and another by CBI. The trial resumed in 2012 and concluded this March. The case (involving the seven accused) was first heard by judge Pramod Kode, who had also delivered the judgement in the first leg of the trial and convicted 100 accused and acquitted 23 in 2007. Later, judge DU Mullah presided over the TADA court, and the case is now being heard by judge GA Sanap. The dastardly attack on 12 March, 1993  had left 257 people dead, 713 seriously injured and destroyed properties worth Rs 27 crore.