Mumbai, Jun 16 (Indian Express): A Special Terrorism and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court pronounced its judgment on Friday, against gangster Mustafa Dossa, Abu Salem, Firoz Khan, Karimullah Khan and Tahir Merchant finding them guilty of conspiracy in 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case. Judgment is still awaited on two others in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case today.

These undertrials, including Dossa, Salem, Firoz Khan, Taher Merchant, Riyaz Siddiqui and Abdul Qayyum, are being tried separately by the court. The under trials, who were arrested between 2003 and 2010, are facing multiple charges which include criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India and murder.
257 people died while 713 others were injured after a series of bomb blasts rocked Mumbai City on March 12, 1993. Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim along with Tiger Memon and his brother Yakub Memon were alleged to be the prime conspirators in the case.

1993 Mumbai Serial blasts verdict LIVE Updates:
1:00 pm: Abu Salem was just pronounced as guilty under criminal conspiracy charges and explosives act. It is the biggest accusation, as well he could be given death sentence under TADA Act. But he cannot be hanged till death because of the extradition treaty signed with Portugal. He has always maintained that he never knew that there were guns in the van he was driving to Mumbai.

12:55 pm: Karimullah Khan pronounced guilty of conspiracy charges in 1993 Mumbai serial blast case.

12:40 pm: Tahir Mechant also found guilty of conspiracy meetings. The former hawala operator, was accused of organising conspiracy meetings prior to Mumbai blasts. Merchant had contacts with ISI and Pakistan. He organised funds for arms, arranged videos of provocative speeches and arranged for visas for co-accused in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. At least 15 accused returned to Merchant’s houses in Dubai after receiving training in Pakistan.

12:38 pm: Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan was also found guilty of conspiracy charges in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Accused Firoz Khan convicted under charges of conspiracy and murder under sections of IPC, TADA and Explosives ACT. He was accused of actively participating in landing of arms at Dighi jetty.

12:28 pm: Gangster Mustafa Dossa was found guilty of conspiracy in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. According to reports, the charges can attract the death penalty against Dossa. What needs to be remembered here is that Yakub Memon was also charged under similar charges. Mustafa has also been found guilty of planning and carrying out the attacks, as per the reports. He was also found guilty of supplying arms in Mumbai after blasts with the help of his brother.

12:20 pm: Recap: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was one of the first ones to get arrested in relation with the case on charges of illegal possession of arms a 9 mm pistol and AK-56 rifle and an ammunition. The actor, after his arrest on April 19, 2013, confessed about possession of arms and destroying it and was later granted bail by Bombay High Court. Actor Sanjay Dutt was convicted in the case and was awarded a prison sentence of five years in March 2013.

12:05 pm: Recap: Apart from Mustafa Dossa and Abu Salem, the other convicts awaiting verdict today include Riyaz Siddiqui, who was charged with criminal conspiracy and offences under TADA to cause the blasts. He was also charged for bringing illegal arms to Mumbai from Gujarat along with Salem. Qayyum Shaikh was charged with criminal conspiracy to cause the blasts. He was also accused of procuring arms and grenades to India with the help of Anees Ibrahim.

11:53 am: Kirti Ajmera, one of the survivors of the blast at Bombay Stock Exchange, spoke to news agency ANI, and said that justice should no longer be delayed. “Justice delayed is justice denied. We have suffered a lot till now,” he said.

11:45 am: Former Supreme Court judge, Justice (Retd) B N Srikrishna, who was appointed by PV Narsimha government to head the judicial inquiry commission report on the blasts, in an interview to media reporters said his recommendations on the case were not implemented by the committee. In an interview to News 18, he also questioned the manner in which the investigations in the case were carried out. “Most of the cases they had investigated either had no evidence or were true but undetected. Is this the way you investigate cases? And when questioned, it was stated that it was not possible to find out anything more,” Justice Srikrishna said.

11:38 am: According to news agency ANI, gangster Abu Salem was brought to TADA court on Friday, where the judgment is likely to be announced soon.

11:30 am: Recap: Yakub Memon was given a death sentence after he was found guilty in case related to 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts. Memon in 2006. In 2010, the Supreme Court upheld the decision. His repeated petitions in the court seeking review of the decisions was dismissed by Supreme Court. His mercy pleas were also rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee. Memon was finally hanged to death on June 30, 2015.

11:20 am: Here is a little reminder of the court’s first set of judgment in the case: The trial court ordered death sentence of 12 convicts, including Yakub Memon on September 12, 2006, giving life sentence to 20 others. Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, son of actor-turned-politician Sunil Dutt, was also given a sentence of 5 years in the case for illegal possession of arms. In March 2013, the apex court announced its decision to uphold the death sentence of Yakub Memon, but commuted death sentence of 10 convicts to life sentence. It also upheld the life sentence of 16 out of 18 convicts.

11:15 am: Deepak Salve, Special SBI counsel spoke to News X, said Doussa was the initiator, according to the case, of the conspiracy and along with his brother Mohammed Dousa, called the first conspiracy meeting in Dubai. He also added that several gangsters from Mumbai including Dawood Ibrahim attended the meeting. “They conspired to have the bomb blasts in Mumbai and planning of riots also for which they decided to send the arms and ammunition to Mumbai.” He further added that he expects the judgment to be in their favour.

10:55 am: Mustafa Dossa, one of the accused in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, was seen leaving for TADA court from Arthur Road Jail in a police van, news agency ANI reported. The court is expected to convene at 11 am to pronounce its judgement in the case.

10:50 am: To read the timeline of events and court proceedings after 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.
10:40 am: P S Pasricha, Former DGP of Maharashtra spoke to News 18, recounting the day of the blast. He said after the initial reports of an explosion from an unspecified area, he did not expect it to be a bomb blast. “I thought gas cylinders bursting was common those days. So we thought it was one of those. Our people said that we are handling the traffic and we’ll let you know if there is any difficulty.” Pasricha added that he figured that something “very serious” was going on when reports of another blast came from near Air India. “A huge noise I heard. The whole wall shook. Even I almost shook.”Describing the situation in Mumbai after the blasts, Pasricha said that there was panic and numbness all around the city. “There was panic. People were benumbed. Nobody knew what is to be done,” he said.

10:30 am: To read everything you need to know about the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
10:25 am: Salem was arrested in Portugal in 2002 and was later extradited to India in 2005. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in another case. He is currently lodged in Taloja Central Jail in Raigad. According to CBI, Dossa was extradited in 2003 from UAE. The court ordered him to undergo a separate trial for several charges including conspiracy and transportation of arms.

10:00 am: The TADA court is likely to announce its judgment by 11 am. The seven men, who were arrested between 2003 and 2010, almost at the fag end of the first trial, form the second set of accused in the blasts case. The court ordered for them to be tried separately.