Blast convict facing death penalty dies of tuberculosis

Mumbai, Nov 6 (UNI) Iqbal Shaikh, convicted and awarded death penalty in the 1993 Mumbai serial blast case, died of tuberculosis at the government hospital in Pune today.

The TADA court here has been informed of Shaikh's death. Shaikh (35) was a bachelor. He had been convicted by the TADA court here and awarded death penalty for parking an RDX laden scooter at Naigaon in Dadar with the intention of causing explosions. However, the RDX-laden scooter had failed to explode.

Shaikh had been lodged at the Yerawada jail in Pune and had been admitted to the hospital as he was suffering from tuberculosis.

Recently, the TADA court here had handed over a copy of the judgement in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case to Shaikh following which he was in the process of approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the TADA court's verdict.

Incidentally, another blast convict Ijaz Pathan, had died in the Arthur Road jail here soon after the TADA court had pronounced its judgement and sentenced him to ten years of rigorous imprisonment.

UNI