Mumbai: Two of the five convicts in the 1993 Mumbai serial blast case, Taher Merchant and Feroze Khan, were on Thursday sentenced to death by a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court. The two others, Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan were sentenced to life in jail, said media reports. Another convict, Riyaz Siddiqui, was sentenced to 10 years in jail. On March 12, 1993, serial blasts in the city killed 257 and left over 713 injured.
The media reports said that the sentencing comes after extensive arguments were made by the prosecution and defence since June 16 when the court had convicted Salem, Merchant, Feroze and Karimullah on charges of criminal conspiracy , murder and indulging in acts of terrorism that cause death. Siddiqui was found guilty on the lesser charge for abetting and aiding terrorism.
While CBI special public prosecutor Deepak Salvi sought the death sentence for Merchant, Feroze and Karimullah, he pressed for life sentences against Salem and Merchant.
The charge against Salem could have attracted the maximum punishment. But since he was extradited from Portugal in 2005, a Lisbon court has held that he cannot be awarded death here. Salem, though his lawyer, has also argued that he cannot be jailed for more than 25 years as assured by the Indian government.
Key conspirator Mustafa Dossa, 60, against whom Salvi had also sought the death penalty, died pending sentencing. The case against him has since abated and there will be no sentence pronounced against him.
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.
The main trial of 123 accused ended in 2006 with the conviction of 100. Yakub Memon, brother of prime absconding accused Tiger Memon, was hanged in 2015, and the others have served or are serving time.
Salvi said trial for the seven, arrested between 2003 and 2010, had to be separated as they were nabbed after a substantial portion of the previous trial was completed. With no other accused currently in custody, the verdict will be the last in the case for now. Thirty-three accused are absconding, including key conspirators Dawood Ibrahim, his brother Anees Ibrahim, Mustafa’s brother Mohammed Dossa and Tiger Memon.
