Six accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case were pronounced guilty last week by a special court. Special Judge Govind A Sanap found “concrete evidence” against gangsters Abu Salem, 48, Mustafa Dossa, 60, Taher Merchant, 55, Feroze Khan, 47, and Karimullah Khan, 55, and convicted them on charges of criminal conspiracy, murder, and indulging in acts of terrorism. Riyaz Siddiqui, 67, was found guilty of abetting and aiding terrorism, and Qayyum Shaikh, 64, was acquitted for lack of evidence.
CBI special counsel Deepak Salvi said, “The CBI will seek the death sentence against four accused (Dossa, Merchant, Feroze and Khan). In light of the undertaking given to Portugal at the time of Salem's extradition, we will have to examine the options regarding his sentencing.” The trial is the second in the case, with the main of 123 accused ending in 2006 with the conviction of 100. Brother of prime absconding accused Tiger Memon, Yakub was hanged in 2015.
The court said none of the accused was held guilty under the IPC charge of waging war against the nation. The judge first convicted Dossa, saying that the prosecution has proved that after the Babri Masjid demolition and subsequent riots, Dossa joined the first conspiracy meeting in Dubai in December 1992 with “other prime absconding” accused Mohammed Dossa, Tiger Memon, and Dawood Ibrahim.
“The accused deliberately and consciously participated in the meeting which gave birth to the original design of the criminal conspiracy to take revenge against the government and the Hindus. The accused was the member of the core group of conspirators,” the judge said.
