1993 Mumbai blasts: Abu Salem, 5 others convicted by TADA court

Mumbai: A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) court pronounced its judgment in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case,where the dastardly attacks left 257 people dead, and destroyed property worth Rs 27 crore. The case involves seven accused including gangster Abu Salem. LATEST UPDATES: 

• TADA court lets off one accused Abdul Quayyum.
• Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in 2005, was charged with supplying the arms and ammunition, including the deadly RDX, which were used in the blasts.
• Abu Salem convicted by TADA court
• Dossa found guilty of taking part in the blasts conspiracy meetings held in India and Dubai before the terror strike was carried out at 12 targets in Mumbai.
• Mustafa Dossa convicted of murder and conspiracy
• Accused Firoz khan convicted under charges of conspiracy and murder under sections of IPC, TADA and Explosives Act
• Accused Tahir Merchant, Karimullah Shaikh also convicted
• "Prosecution has proved its case" says court
• Abu Salem is present in TADA court
• Charge of conspiracy levied against Abu Salem
• The proceedings are underway

The first leg of the trial concluded in 2007, where the TADA court had convicted 100 accused in the case, while 23 people were acquitted. The trial of the seven accused - Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum - were separated from the main case as they were arrested at the time of conclusion of the main trial. Salem was accused of transporting weapons from Gujarat to Mumbai. He also handed over to actor Sanjay Dutt, who was an accused in the case for illegally possessing weapons, AK 56 rifles, 250 bullets and some hand grenades at his residence on January 16, 1993. Two days later on January 18, 1993, Salem and two others went to Dutt's house and got back two rifles and some rounds. The court had dropped certain charges against Salem in 2013 after the investigating agency -CBI- moved a plea, saying those charges were against the extradition treaty between India and Portugal. Mustafa Dossa allegedly masterminded the landing of explosives including RDX in India and sent some youth to Pakistan to acquire arms training. The court, in all, recorded statements of around 750 prosecution witnesses and 50 witnesses. Three accused including Salem had confessed to their crime during investigations carried out by the CBI over the years into the blasts case. It was during the trial in 2013 that the Supreme Court pronounced a judgement on appeal filed by all the accused wherein key conspirator Yakub Memon's death sentence was confirmed, while that of others (all bomb planters) were commuted to life imprisonment. Sanjay Dutt and many others surrendered before the TADA court here in May 2013 after the apex court upheld their conviction. Yakub Memon was executed on July 30, 2015 after his several pleas seeking clemency were rejected; including the post-midnight hearing by Supreme Court on the day he was hanged. 1993 serial blasts: 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 Bombay Stock Exchange, Katha Bazaar, Lucky petrol pump near Sena Bhavan, opposite Passport office near Century Bazaar, Fishermen's colony at Mahim Causeway, at basement of Air India Building, Zaveri Bazaar, Hotel Sea Rock, Plaza Theatre, Centaur Hotel (Juhu), Sahar Airport (Bay no.54) and Centaur Hotel (near airport). (With agency inputs)