2 convicts of 1993 Mumbai blasts sentenced to death

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI

A special court in western state of Maharashtra Thursday sentenced two men to death and two more to life imprisonment for their role in a series of explosions in Mumbai in 1993.

The special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) court in Mumbai sentenced Tahir Merchant and Feroz Khan to death for criminal conspiracy and murder in the case.

Abu Salem, 57, who was convicted for transporting weapons from Gujarat to Mumbai, along with Karimullah Khan was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005 and was put on trial in India. His extradition was allowed by Portugal on the condition that he would not be given capital punishment or be imprisoned for more than 25 years.

Mustafa Dossa, who was found guilty of taking part in the blasts’ conspiracy meetings, was extradited from the United Arab Emirates. He died a few days after he was convicted.

Another convict Riyaz Siddiqui, who was charged for transporting explosives in a van used in the blasts, was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

However, the court acquitted Abdul Qayyum, one of the suspects, over lack of evidences. He remained behind the bars for more than 10 years.

Seven accused were tried separately in the case because they were arrested after substantial part of the previous trial was completed. The court had convicted 77 people in the first trial that ended in 2007.

At least 257 people were killed and more than 700 others injured after a series of blasts rocked different localities of Mumbai in 1993.