TADA court frames charges against gangster Abu Salem

Mumbai, Mar 18 (UNI) A TADA court today framed charges against extradited gangster Abu Salem and his accomplice Riaz Siddiqui in the serial bomb blasts which had claimed 257 lives and left 713 people wounded, besides leaving a trail of property disaster worth crores in the country's financial capital on March 12, 1993.

However, both of them pleaded not guilty to the charges read out to them.

The charges were framed by designated Judge P D Kode.

The judge, however, fixed March 21 for hearing the CBI's plea for clubbing the trial of the two accused with the main trial which had been concluded more than a year ago.

Abu Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in November last year, to face trial in this and five other cases, has been charged with distributing arms and ammunition to co-accused, including Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt. He has also been charged with participating in the conspiracy which led to a the serial blasts in 1993.

Siddiqui, too, has been charged for particpating in the conspiracy, allegedly hatched by absconding underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees Ibrahim. He has also been charged with providing a vehicle to Abu Salem in which arms and ammunition were brought from Bharuch in Gujarat to Mumbai in January, 1993.

Abu Salem, who had earlier confessed the crime before the CBI, later retracted it, alleging his confessional statement was taken under duress.

Besides the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the two accused have also been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Explosives Substances Act, Explosives Act, and Arms Act.

After hearing the charges, Salem and Siddiqui stepped into the witness box and pleaded '' not guilty.'' UNI XR-GK SA MA KN1825