2 get death, Salem life for 1993 blasts
MUMBAI ATTACK Court rules death for Firoz Khan, Tahir Merchant for India’s deadliest bombings that left 257 dead
A court on Thursday sentenced two men to death and another two, including extradited gangster Abu Salem, to life in jail for a series of blasts in Mumbai that killed 257 people in 1993 in what has been the country’s longest terror trial.
The terrorist and disruptive activities (protection) act (Tada) court ordered death for Firoz Khan and Tahir Merchant for India’s deadliest bombings that injured 713 people and destroyed property worth ₹27 crore.
Along with Salem, a close aide of gangster Dawood Ibrahim, special judge GA Sanap awarded life imprisonment to Karimullah Khan while Riyaz Siddiqui was ordered 10 years in jail.
Investigators had said March 12, 1993 bombings were ordered by Ibrahim, India’s most wanted man, to avenge the demolition of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya by a Hindu mob a year earlier and the riots that followed.
The court in June convicted six persons, including mastermind Mustafa Dossa and Salem. Dossa died of a heart attack a few days after his conviction.
One Abdul Qayoom Karim Shaikh was acquitted for lack of evidence. The men were arrested between 2003 and 2010.
The accused gathered to “take revenge against government of India and against members of the Hindu community” after the riots that took place in 1992, the court had said.
While convicting Dossa, it said he had participated in various meetings, which were held in Dubai, and played an active role in landing arms, ammunition and explosives to carry out the blasts.
The court had said Salem was one of the main conspirators who was close to Anees Ibrahim Kaskar, Dawood’s brother, and Dossa.
He took upon himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai. He delivered three AK-56 rifles, ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt, who was convicted in the earlier phase of the trial under the arms act.
Coming down hard on Merchant, the court had said, “The prosecution has proved that Merchant’s role is communal and that he is one of the initiators of the conspiracy.”
THE COURT IN JUNE CONVICTED SIX , INCLUDING MASTERMIND MUSTAFA DOSSA AND SALEM. DOSSA LATER DIED OF A HEART ATTACK