Key conspirator in 1993 blast case in custody

Mumbai: Seven months after a special TADA court passed judgment on the second phase of the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case, the CBI arrested and produced before the court one more accused, Mohammed Farooq Yasin Mansoor, alias Farooq Takla, believed to be an aide of fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, in this case. 

CBI counsel Deepak Salvi requested special judge G. A. Sanap to remand Farooq to CBI custody as it wanted to carry out further investigation and collect evidence against him. “He is one of the key conspirators,” said Salvi, adding that he had dealt with plane tickets of other accused. According to the CBI, he was the key person to send the co-accused to Pakistan via Dubai, so that they could undergo arms training.

The CBI prosecutor also said that the CBI had already chargesheeted him on November 4, 1993 as Takla was absconding accused number 196 in list of accused. According to the CBI, he participated in the criminal conspiracy of the blast as an active conspirator, perpetrator along with other accused like Dawood Ibrahim.

“He gave logistic support like arranging air tickets. He also received accused Salim Bismillah Khan, alias Salim Kurla, Mohd Hanif Mohd Usman Shaikh, Shaikh Ibrahim Shaikh Hussain, Usman Man Khan Shaikh and Mohd Sayed Mohd Isaaq in Dubai and arranged for their accommodation during their stay in Dubai. These accused were to travel to Pakistan to receive arms, ammunition and handling of explosives’ training.

The CBI has claimed that Takla also provided for their expenses while in Dubai and apprised them about the next step of sending them to Pakistan from Dubai to receive training.

The TADA court had issued non-bailable warrants against him in February 1995, then in June 1995, later in August 2017, but they returned unexecuted. The CBI than sent those NBWs to the competent authority of UAE, along with request for his extradition in August 2017.

Advocate Salvi said that during the earlier trial against other set of accused, including gangster Abu Salem, the prosecution had already examined 786 witnesses and some of them have implicated Takla’s role in their confession. “The said accused is deeply involved in the criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist act, including serial blast in 1993,” said advocate Salvi while seeking Takla’s custody for fourteen days.

On behalf of Takla, advocate Farhana Shah and Sultan Khan opposed the CBI’s plea seeking his custody.  After hearing arguments the judge held that a fair chance of investigation could not be denied to the CBI and hence accused is remanded to CBI custody till March 19.

Court seeks CBI’s reply on 5 applications

The judge allowed advocate Farhana Shaha and Sultan Khan to meet and talk to Takla in the courtroom. The court, however, sought CBI’s reply on their other five applications. In these applications Takla’s lawyers sought medicines for him as he is suffering from high blood pressure, home food, permission to meet family members, legal consultation and that he would not be made to confess.

Farooq’s brother Ahmed Langda met him in the courtroom. Ahmed was also one of the accused in the blast case facing almost similar charges but he was acquitted from the case. 

The judge warned Ahmed not to intervene in the court proceedings. While the hearing was going on, Ahmed fell unconscious. He was helped by the police, journalists and Takla’s lawyer and taken out.