Mumbai: A special court today (Jan 9, 2004) framed charges against 1993 bomb blast accused Mustaffa Dossa alias Majnu under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Terrorists and Disruptive Activities-Prevention (TADA-P) Act for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to create serial explosions.

Mustaffa pleaded not guilty to the charges framed against him under section 120-b IPC (conspiracy) and section 3 (3) of TADA-P Act, which deals with abetment to terrorist acts.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed designated judge P D Kode that the prosecution was relying upon the confession of co-accused Salim Mira Shaikh to implicate Dossa.

However, Dossa opposed the prosecution's stand, saying Salim had made the confession in some other case in Gujarat and that could not be used against him (Dossa) in this case.

The prosecution argued that under TADA-P Act confession of an accused could not only be used against him but also against co-accused.

The Supreme Court recently upheld the order of special court to conduct separate trial for Dossa, who was deported from Dubai recently.

Dossa, arrested on March 20, prayed that his trial should be conducted jointly with other accused. Earlier, designated Judge P D Kode had separated his trial. Being aggrieved, he moved the Supreme Court.

Mustaffa's involvement first came to light in August 1995 or thereabout after the confession of accused Salim Mira Shaikh was recorded by Gujarat police. He is facing the charge of participating in the conspiracy hatched by Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon and others to create a series of blasts in Mumbai.

The explosions occurred on March 31, 1993 killing 256 people and injuring 713.