TADA court to decode 1993 serial blasts case

Mumbai, Jul 27: A designated TADA court here will begin dictating the order in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case, from August 10, after a long wait of 13 years.

Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) (Prevention) Act Judge P D Khode today directed all 135 accused facing trial to remain present in the court on August 10 and not to leave its jurisdiction.

Ironically, in the most infamous case of violence of the 90s in the country and one of the longest trials in Indian judiciary, a number of accused, including two prime accused--underworld don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and Tiger Memon--are still absconding. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier issued red-corner notices against them and they have been declared as 'proclaimed offenders'.

Besides, 86 accused, including Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and some family members of prime-accused Tiger Memon are out on bail, while 37 accused including extradited gangster Abu Salem and Yakub Memon are in custody.

Also, 23 accused in the case had been discharged, including Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abu Asim Azmi. The others were discharged by the TADA court.

Some of the accused died during the trial of the case, while two passed away in police custody, 10 were killed in gang wars and one was gunned down in police encounter.

Since the trial in the case began on June 30, 1995, the TADA court examined 636 witnesses and two accused-turned approvers and recorded evidences running into about 14,000 pages. The two accused-turned approvers reportedly delivered evidence against the co-accused in the case.

The court also examined a defence witness, a retired hand-writing expert, who reportedly delivered evidence about the hand-writing of Yakub Memon, which was later produced in the court as a vital piece of evidence.

A series of 13 bomb explosions had rocked Mumbai on March 12, 1993, in which 257 people died, about 700 were injured and property worte several crores was destroyed.

According to prosecution, the conspiracy of the gruesome blasts was allegedly hatched by Dawood and master-minded by Tiger Memon. It was planned in Dubai and Mumbai. The blasts allegedly occurred in the aftermath of the December 6, 1992 demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya, which soon sparked-off communal riots in Mumbai.

The executors of the blasts allegedly received in training to Pakistan.

A large number of deadly arms and ammunition, including RDX were transported for the purpose and made to land in the coastal area of Raigad district in Maharashtra the prosecution added.

Several customs, police officials and members of organised crime syndicate are also accused in the case and are facing trial.

However, the court had earlier separated the trial of four accused--Abu Salem, his accomplice Riaz Siddiqui and two Dubai-deported accused Ejaz Pathan and Mohammed Dosa alias Mustafa Majnu.

Meanwhile, reacting to the court's decision to dictate order on August 10, noted Mumbai-based lawyer Majid Memon, who represents a large number of blast accused and was also appearing at one time on behalf of the accused Memon family, said he is happy with the announcement of the date of verdict.

He said it is like ''justice delayed, justice denied,'' as the order in the case is coming after a gap of 13 years.

Mr Memon said there is a delay in judgement because some of the accused facing trial may get imprisonment much less, in comparison to the time for which they have already languished in jail.

Lawyer Farhana Shah, who represents actor Sanjay Dutt and some others, said though the court will start dictating the order on August 10, yet, as a procedure the court will first have to find the accused who are guilty and acquit those, against whom there is no evidence.

She said after that the court will record the statement of the accused, to decide the quantum of punishment. Following this, the court will hear the prosecution and defence, before declaring the final order.

As per the TADA Act, an appeal against the order could be moved directly in the Supreme court, and there is a possibility that both prosecution and defence may apply, she said. ''So, it's like a never-ending process,'' she added.

UNI

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