Mumbai: A special court has tomorrow (Jun 21, 2004) summoned 16 accused, including Saquib Nachan, former secretary of banned SIMI, for framing charges against them in three cases of bomb blasts.

The accused, currently lodged in judicial custody are charged with triggering a chain of explosions at Mulund, Bombay Central and Vile Parle.

They shall be produced amidst tight security before the designated judge A P Bhangale. Twenty-five persons were injured when a bomb went off at McDonald stall in Bombay Central station on December 6, 2002, while one person was killed and 32 injured at Vile Parle on January 27 last year. In another explosion at Mulund on March 13 last year, 11 persons were killed and 82 injured.

Other accused are Ateef Mulla, Asib Mulla, Gulam Akbar Abdul Khotal, Mohammed Kamil, Farhaan, Noor Mohammed Ansari, Dr Wahid Ansari, Anwar Ali Khan, Arif Hussain Shaikh, Mohammed Miauddin Paloba, Muzammil Ansari, Haroon Rashid Lohar, Rashid Ansari, Adnan Mulla and Mohammed Siddiqui Sayyed. Three other accused were killed in police encounter on March 29 last year. They are Abu Sultan, Abu Anwar Ali (both Pakistani nationals) and Mohammed Iqbal Wani.

Six other accused, including C A M Bashir, former SIMI president, are absconding. Others are Taher alias Yousef Shaikh, Dr Akmal Nachan, Wazhul Kumar Mutija Khan, Sohail Usman Gani Shaikh and Siraj.