1993 Mumbai blasts: Gangster Abu Salem Smiled At Other Convicts As Verdict Came Out

Abu Salem

Mumbai:  A Special TADA Court on Thursday awarded life sentence to prime accused Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan, while awarding death sentence to M. Tahir Merchant and Feroz Khan in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. 10 key points to know: 

• Special Judge G.A. Sanap also slapped a fine of Rs 200,000 on convicts Salem and Khan, after finding them guilty on various charges including murder, supplying arms and other serious offences.
• Merchant was convicted for conspiring, facilitating and knowingly commissioning acts of terror.
• They were earlier pronounced "guilty" by the Special Court on June 16, along with three others including Mustafa Dossa who died on June 28.
• Another convict Riyaz Siddiqui was given 10 years in jail. He was the one drove a car from Gujarat to Mumbai and handed it over to Abu Salem.
• Convicts will get set-off for the time they have served in jail: Ujjwal, Public Prosecutor on 1993 Mumbai Blasts case sentence.
• Tahir Merchant and Feroz Khan were tense in the courtroom and were reciting verses from a religious book. Feroz was noting down every important detail being read by the judge. Both of them played crucial roles in the blasts. They were present in the meetings with Dawood Ibrahim in Dubai. Salem asked Feroz about the verdict.
• Salem, who is being tried in 8 other cases, smiled at other convicts when learnt about the sentencing. He has already served 12 years in jail and the sentence in two cases would run concurrently.
• Salem could only given a maximum 25-year life imprisonment and he was aware of it.
• The treaty with Portugal does not have a provision for a death penalty, hence Salem got away with life imprisonment and will now be spending 13 years more in prison.
• Salem was prepared for this verdict and was constantly speaking to his lawyers in the courtroom to challenge the sentencing in higher court.

(With IANS inputs)