In the second installment of the trial into the Mumbai blast cases of March 1993, a special Tada (Terrorism and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act) court on Fridayconvicted the gangster Abu Salem and five others while acquitting one of the accused.
With this the curtain comes down on the trial of all those who could be arrested. Around 30 are still at large, including Dawood Ibrahim, by now designated an international terrorist, Tiger Memon, Chhota Shakeel and others, who are thought to be hiding in Pakistan or the Gulf. No doubt they will face the majesty of the law when apprehended.
There were 189 accused in the Mumbai bomb blasts case. Twelve locations were targeted on March 12, 1993. The death toll was 257 and more than 700 were injured. The trial of 123 of the accused was concluded in 2007, with 100 convictions and 23 acquittals. The six convicted on Friday and the lone accused set free were arrested subsequently.
In all, 28 of the accused have been discharged from the case, 24 acquitted so far, and 106 convicted. This attests to the fairness of the trial.
The Mumbai blasts were in revenge for the Babri mosque demolition by Hindutva fanatics on December 6, 1992. But citizens cannot take the law into their own hand even if they are deeply aggrieved. In this case they took recourse to violence with Pakistan’s help. Mumbai Police cannot escape blame. It was tipped off by an approver who had taken training in Pakistan for the blasts, but didn’t believe him, so unbelievable was the plot.
