After 24-years long judicial trial, the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court has pronounced its verdict in the most sensational 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
The court pronounced its judgement on Thursday that includes death sentence for the two convicts and life sentence for the two other convicts. On March 12, 1993, serial blasts in Mumbai killed 257 and left over 713 injured.
Taher Merchant and Feroze Khan are the two of the five convicts, in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, who got death sentence. Two others, Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan were sentenced to life in jail. Another convict, Riyaz Siddiqui, was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
The sentencing comes after extensive arguments were made by the prosecution and defence since June 16, 2017 when the court had convicted Abu Salem, Taher Merchant, Feroze Khan and Karimullah Khan on the charges of criminal conspiracy, murder and indulging in the acts of terrorism that cause death. Siddiqui was found guilty on the lesser charge for abetting and aiding terrorism.
While the CBI special public prosecutor Deepak Salvi sought the death sentence for Merchant, Feroze and Karimullah, he pressed for life sentences against Abu Salem and Taher Merchant.
Gangster Abu Salem could have got capital punishment for the charge against him. But since, Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005, a Lisbon court has held that he cannot be awarded death in India. On other hand, Salem’s lawyer argued that Salem cannot be jailed for more than 25 years as assured by the Indian government.
The key mastermind and conspirator Mustafa Dosa,60, against whom Deepak Salvi had also sought the death punishment was died pending sentencing. Qayyum Shaikh, 64, behind bars for almost 11 years, was acquitted for lack of evidence. This trial of seven was the second in the 1993 case.
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