Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

‘Takla had active role in 1993 blasts’

- Charul Shah charul.shah@hindustant­imes.com

Yasin Mansoor Mohammed Farooq, alias Farooq Takla, actively participat­ed in the conspiracy in the 1993 blasts case, according to a charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigat­ion (CBI) in the Tada court on Tuesday.

Twelve bombs went off in erstwhile Bombay, between 1.30pm and 3.40pm on March 12, 1993, killing 257 people and injuring more than 700. “He (Takla) was an active member of the criminal conspiracy. In 1993, he was in Dubai and was working in close associatio­n with absconding accused Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and Anees Ibrahim Kaskar,” read the charge sheet. CBI claimed that Salim Bismillah Khan, Muhammed Hanif Usman Shaikh, Usman Man Khan Shaikh, Shaikh Ibrahim Hussain Shaikh, Muhammed Saeed and Muhammed Issac flew to Dubai on January 22 in 1993. Takla along with Anis Kaskar and others received them at the airport.

Four of the six accused, who had landed in Dubai, travelled to Pakistan for training in handling armsandexp­losives. “Taklahad made arrangemen­ts for their stay in Dubai and financed their expenses. He also made arrangemen­ts for their journey to Pakistan. He instructed, among others,

MUMBAI: ACCORDING TO THE CHARGE SHEET, TAKLA WAS IN DUBAI IN 1993 AND WAS WORKING IN ASSOCIATIO­N WITH DAWOOD AND ANEES

about what to wear in Pakistan and how their associates would identify them at the Karachi airport,” stated the charge sheet. After the return of the four men to Dubai, Takla made arrangemen­ts for their stay and their travel to Mumbai in February 1993.

The charge sheet also contains the statement of an approver, who was also scheduled to visit Pakistan from Dubai for arms and ammunition training.

The approver claimed he met Takla in Dubai and his brother at Dera market. He claimed he had heard Takla talk about sending more people, including Salim Kutta, to Pakistan for training in arms and ammunition.

 ?? HT FILE ?? Farooq Takla
HT FILE Farooq Takla

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