Merchant was a pawn, says lawyer

Mumbai: The lawyer of convict Tahir Merchant, alias Tahir Taklya, today argued that Merchant was “a pawn” and not a prime conspirator in the 1993 bomb blasts case. He argued that Merchant just made arrangements to send some of the accused to Pakistan and that he was not commanding a position in the Dawood gang but just followed the orders of Dawood and Anis Ibrahim.

He said Merchant never participated in the conspiracy meeting before the blasts and that there is no evidence, which says that Tahir had control over the blasts.

Sudeep Pasbola, lawyer of accused Tahir merchant, while arguing against the death penalty of Merchant, said that in the year December 1992, some people were sent to Pakistan to prepare for the riots which was later used in the blast by Tiger Memon.

Pasbola was trying to dilute the claim of prosecution that Merchant was one of the main conspirators and the mastermind behind the 1993 serial bomb blast. “There is nothing on record to show that Merchant, even knew that RDX had landed in the Mumbai, or that he was present in the conspiratorial meetings.”

Merchant’s role specifically was of picking up recruits in Dubai, giving them a place to live, then sending them to Pakistan for training and receiving them back in Dubai. “He was not calling the shots. If it was not for Taher, Tiger would have sent someone else to collect those recruits.” Pasbola argued.

Pasbola said that Tiger Memon kept talking about the atrocities on Muslims during the 1992 riots and sent these men for training so that they could be deployed in a similar eventuality later on. “Taher’s role was of sheltering these at the behest of Tiger, there was no talk about the blast at that time and therefore there is nothing to show he was a main conspirator.”

On the prosecutions case that Taher may have connections with the ISI and Pakistani defense, Pasbola argued that these claims were based simply on conjectures.

The court has adjourned the matter on tomorrow for further hearing.

Tahir’s role

Taher Mohammed Merchant alias Taher Taklya’s name appeared in the first charge sheet. TADA court termed him a proclaimed offender on October 15, 1993.

• Involved in criminal conspiracy.
• Attended various conspiracy meetings in Dubai.
• Motivated his associates to arrange for men from Mumbai to be sent for training in handling of arms, ammunition and explosives in Pakistan.
• Arranged for stay and visas of co-accused who went to Dubai with the object of receiving arms training to Pakistan also arranged their travel to Pakistan.
• Actively organised and collected funds to procure arms and ammunition.
• Planned to establish a factory in India for making illegal arms for committing terrorist acts.