The Judgement Day of Abu Salem

Mumbai: A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court on Thursday awarded capital punishment to Tahir Merchant and Feroz Khan in connection to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. The court had convicted six terrorists – Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Firoz Khan, Mohammed Tahir Merchant alias Tahir Taklya, Karimullah Khan and Riyaz Ahmed Siddique in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

The court today awarded life imprisonment to Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan along with a fine of ₹ 2 lakhs, though Riyaz Ahmed Siddique received a sentence of 10 years.

Dossa died on June 28, just a few days after being convicted. The case against him has been closed.

This incident introduced Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon to the world. Dawood soon became India’s most wanted man. 1993 Mumbai blasts is the first terrorist attack in the world where RDX was used.

Abu Salem has been in jail for the last 15 years.The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had requested life imprisonment for Abu Salem and another terrorist and death sentence for three.

The top 10 from this story:

1. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had requested life imprisonment for Abu Salem – convicted under stringent sections of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act or TADA.
2. Apart from Abu Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in 2005, and Dossa, who was extradited from the UAE, the court had also convicted Mohd. Tahir Merchant alias Tahir Takla, Karimullah Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui and Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan. Abdul Qayyum has been acquitted in the case.
3. A number of other accused in the case, including India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, a criminal on the run.
4. This was the second part of the trial in the serial blasts case involving seven accused by a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act or TADA court in Mumbai.
5. In the first part of the trial that ended in 2007, the anti-terrorism court had convicted 100 people, out of which 23 were eventually acquitted. In 2015, Yakub Memon was hanged in connection with the same case.
6. A series of 13 blasts in quick succession ripped through various locations of India’s financial capital on March 12, 1993 and the suburbs killing 257 people and injuring around 700.
7. The prime targeted locations included the Air India Building, Bombay Stock Exchange, Zaveri Bazar, then existing five star hotels, Hotel SeaRock and Hotel Juhu Centaur, and others leading to public and private property worth ₹ 27 crore damaged.
8. Abu Salem, who was accused of transporting weapons from Gujarat to Mumbai, was arrested in Portugal in 2002. He was also responsible for giving weapons to actor Sanjay Dutt, who was accused in the case for the illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle, 250 bullets and some hand grenades at his residence on January 16, 1993.
9. The court had dropped certain charges against Salem in 2013 after the CBI said those charges went against the extradition treaty between India and Portugal.
10. The court recorded statements of around 750 prosecution witnesses and 50 witnesses. Three accused including Abu Salem had confessed to their crime during investigations carried out by the CBI over the years into the blasts case.

The Judgement day Gangster Abu Salem updates

1.00 pm: The court orders Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan to pay a fine of ₹ 2 lakh.

12.59 pm: Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan sentenced to death. According to CBI, Feroz and Tahir were the main conspirators.

12.57 pm:  Tahir Merchant gets death sentence.

12.55 pm: Riyaz Siddiqui gets 10 years in prison. He had been found not guilty of conspiracy.

12.47 pm:  TADA court sentences Abu Salem to life imprisonment after he had been found guilty of conspiracy and murder.

12.44 pm: Abu Salem to be sentenced next.

12.41 pm: Karimullah Khan sentenced to life imprisonment.

11.18 am: Abu Salem and four other convicts reach court for quantum of sentence hearing in 1993 blast case

11.10 am: The TADA court had earlier convicted all except Riyaz Siddiqui under charges including murder, criminal conspiracy and other sections of the Indian Penal Code, TADA Act, Explosive Substances Act, Explosives Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Siddiqui was convicted under Section 3 (3) of the TADA Act.

11.05 am: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought the death penalty for Feroz, Merchant and Karimullah, and life imprisonment for Salem and Siddiqui.

11.00 am: Abu Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005 and under the extradition treaty with the European nation, death penalty cannot be awarded to him.