1993 Mumbai serial blasts: Verdict against Abu Salem, 6 other accused likely today

A special TADA court in Mumbai is likely to pronounce its judgement on Friday in the second leg of the trial in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case involving seven accused, including extradited gangster Abu Salem.

The dastardly attacks left 257 people dead, 713 seriously injured and destroyed properties worth Rs 27 crore.

In the first leg of the trial that concluded in 2007, the TADA court convicted 100 accused, 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 confessed to their crime during investigations carried out by the CBI over the years in the blasts case.