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The prosecution on Thursday told a TADA court that it would seek maximum punishment under the law for the six persons convicted last week in the 1993 serial blasts case.
Special CBI counsel Deepak Salvi, however, said the prosecution will start arguments only after the accused put forth mitigating circumstances in their favour.
The argument on quantum of sentence was adjourned till 3 pm on Friday. The hearing on the case has been ongoing since 19 June, and it is still unclear when will the final sentence be delivered.
Read all the updates for the 1993 Mumbai Blasts on our live blog.
Gangster Abu Salem moved a European Union court on 18 June in a bid to have himself sent back to Portugal from where he was extradited to India to face the trial. Salem moved the European Union court months before his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case early this week.
Salem contended that after the Portugal court terminated the 2014 order for his extradition, his entire trial in India has become illegal.
A special TADA court on Friday convicted six persons, including mastermind Mustafa Dossa and extradited gangster Abu Salem, in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case – 24 years after the attacks left 257 people dead. It, however, acquitted Abdul Quayyum, the seventh accused.
This was the second leg of the trial. In the first leg of the trial that concluded in 2007, the TADA court had convicted 100 accused in the case, while 23 people were acquitted.
The present trial of the seven accused – Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum – was separated from the main case as they were arrested at the time of conclusion of the main trial.
Here are the charges under which the accused were pronounced guilty.
One accused Abdul Quayyum was let off for want of evidence against him.
Retired IPS officer Rakesh Maria, who headed the probe in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, on Friday welcomed the conviction of the six persons in the case.
Maria credited the Mumbai police team who did "massive work day and night".
Jaan Usman Khan alias Reenu, a suspected aide of Abu Salem, who is wanted in several cases was arrested near Sanjay Jheel in East Delhi on Friday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Omvir Singh confirmed Khan's arrest and said his interrogation was under way.
Tracing Khan's links with the Salem gang, a police official said he had gone to Mumbai in 1996 where he met Waseem, who was accused of killing T- Series Cassette owner and film producer Gulshan Kumar.
On 12 March 1993, the country's commercial capital witnessed an unprecedented terrorist attack when a series 12 bomb explosions took place one after another, in about a span of two hours.
The blasts took place at Bombay Stock Exchange, Katha Bazaar, Lucky petrol pump near Sena Bhavan, opposite Passport office near Century Bazaar, Fishermen's colony at Mahim Causeway, at basement of Air India Building, Zaveri Bazaar, Hotel Sea Rock, Plaza Theatre, Centaur Hotel (Juhu), Sahar Airport (Bay no 54) and Centaur Hotel (near airport).
According to the prosecution, in order to avenge the demolition of Babri Masjid, members of the crime syndicate, under the fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim along with other absconding accused Tiger Memon, Mohammed Dossa and Mustafa Dossa (who is presently facing trial) hatched a conspiracy to commit terrorist acts in India.
The prosecution said that the object of the crime was to commit terrorist acts with an intent to overawe the Government of India, to strike terror on the people, alienate section of the people, and to harm the communal harmony.
(With PTI inputs)
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