Mumbai: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on March 24 filed a supplementary chargesheet in a special court against prime accused in the 1993 bomb blast case Ejaz Pathan, who was remanded till March 27 to judicial custody by a special court.

In a surprise development, the accused withdrew his confession, allegedly recorded by CBI, on the ground that it was not voluntary. His lawyer Abbas Kazmi told designated judge P D Kode that the accused was retracting his confession.

CBI has charged Pathan with taking active part in a conspiracy meeting called by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Dubai prior to the bomb blasts on March 12, 1993.

In this meeting, plans were hatched by the accused to send arms and ammunition to India and distribute them to commit terrorist acts in Mumbai and elsewhere, CBI alleged.

CBI alleged that Pathan had sent co-accused Manoj Kumar, Bhanwarilal Gupta alias Munna, Ethesham, Shahnawaz Khan, Akbar Abu Sama Khan and Karimulla to help prime accused Tiger Memon in landing of arms and ammunition in nearby Raigad coast.

CBI also charged Pathan with sending co-accused Shaikh Mohammed Ethesham, Haji Gulam Rasool Shaikh, Sultan-e-rome Sardar Ali Gul and Shahnawaz Khan Faiz Mohammed Khan to Pakistan enroute to Dubai for arms training.

CBI also alleged that Pathan and co-accused Manoj Gupta as well as Mohammed Dawood Yusuf Khan had carried a bag containing three AK-56 rifles and nine magazines and kept it at the residence of Mohammed Dawood. The bag was later recovered by police at the instance of Mohammed Dawood.

Pathan was deported from Dubai recently. He carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head and the court had earlier issued non-bailable warrant against him.

PTI