1993 Mumbai blasts: Abu Salem Sentenced To Life, 2 Get Death

Here are the top 10 developments in this story:

1. A special court has also slapped a fine of Rs. 2,00,000 on Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan; they have been held guilty of murder, supplying arms and other serious offences.
2. The Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI had asked for life imprisonment for Abu Salem, who was convicted under the stringent Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act or TADA.
3. Abu Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005 and cannot be sentenced to death because of a guarantee to the Portuguese.
4. Another convict, Mustafa Dossa was extradited from the UAE. He died in June of a heart attack.
5. A number of other accused in the case, including India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, remain on the run.
6. This was the second part of the trial in the serial blasts case involving seven accused by a TADA court in Mumbai. In the first part that ended in 2007, the anti-terrorism court convicted 100 people, of which 23 were later acquitted.
7. Yakub Memon was hanged in 2015 after a historic middle-of-the-night hearing in which the Supreme Court dismissed his final appeal.
8. A series of 13 blasts in quick succession ripped through various locations of India’s financial capital on March 12, 1993. The targets included the Air India Building, the Bombay Stock Exchange, Zaveri Bazar, hotels SeaRock and Hotel Juhu Centaur. Property worth Rs. 27 crore was damaged.
9. Abu Salem, accused of transporting weapons from Gujarat to Mumbai, was arrested in Portugal in 2002. He was also responsible for giving weapons to actor Sanjay Dutt, who was accused in the case for the illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle, 250 bullets and some hand grenades at his residence on January 16, 1993.
10. The court recorded the statements of around 800 witnesses. Three including Abu Salem had confessed to their crime during investigations carried out by the CBI over the years.

BLACK FRIDAY

On March 12, 1993, the country’s commercial capital witnessed an unprecedented terrorist attack when a series 12 bomb explosions took place one after another in about a span of two hours.

The blasts took place at quick intervals spanning two hours at the Bombay Stock Exchange, Kalbadevi, Shiv Sena Bhavan, Air India building at Nariman Point, Fishermen’s Colony in Mahim, Worli Century Bazar, Zaveri Bazar, Hotel SeaRock in Bandra, among other places.

The Mumbai serial blasts had left 257 people dead, 713 others seriously injured, and destroyed properties worth an estimated Rs 27 crore.

This was the first ever terrorist attack in the world where RDX (Research Department Explosive i.e cyclo-trimethylene tri-nitramine) was used on such a large scale after the Second World War.

Abu Salem’s role in the 1993 blasts

The court had earlier held that prosecution proved Salem was one of the main conspirators and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted in earlier phase of trial under the Arms Act).

Salem, who was close to (Dawood’s brother) Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court earlier said.

This was “vital towards achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India,” the court had said. — PTI

Roles of Tahir Merchant and Feroz Khan in the Mumbai blasts

According to CNN-News18, Tahir Merchant sent Indian youths for weapons training to Pakistan whereas Feroz Khan was Mustafa Dossa’s close aide and ensured arms and ammunition reached Dighi. Khan also manged police, customs and destroyed arms and ammunition after the blasts.

References-

• NDTV
• Firstpost
• Bar and Bench

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