Saturday, November 12 2005 19:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The arrest of extradited gangster Abu Salem under TADA (P) Act will not delay the 1993 bomb blast verdict as Salem would be tried separately, legal sources said today (Nov 12, 2005).

The trial in this case is nearly over and the court is busy in the task of giving its verdict. The arrest of Salem would not delay the judgement because CBI is expected to file a separate chargesheet against him within the stipulated 180 days, defence lawyer Satish Maneshinde told PTI.

Maneshinde said that Salem's arrest would not have any bearing on the case of actor Sanjay Dutt who is an accused in this case. The court would have to examine evidence against Dutt which has already been placed before it by the CBI.

Maneshinde, who is defending Dutt in the court, said that Salem had already declared before the TADA court that he did not wish to give a statement to CBI and presuming if he gives a statement implicating Dutt, the court would have to examine its evidential value because it comes 12 years after the alleged incident.

According to CBI, Salem had gone to Sanjay Dutt's Bandra residence in a car laden with arms and ammunition along with co-accused Hanif Kadawala, Samir Hingora and Baba Musa Chauhan prior to the bomb blasts on March 12, 1993. Dutt kept an AK-57 rifle and asked them to go away with other weapons.

Co-accused Chauhan, Hingora and Kadawala had given a statement to police soon after their arrest that they had gone to Dutt's residence to deliver arms. Even Dutt had given a confessional statement to this effect. However, all of them, including Dutt, have retracted their statements.

Another defence lawyer Majeed Memon said, from the material placed before the court the involvement of Salem in the conspiracy does not come to light because he was not present in all the four conspiracy meetings held at hotel Taj Mahal in Mumbai, Al-Husseni building (residence of accused Tiger Memon), in a flat in suburban Bandra and in Dubai.

The only evidence against Salem, as of now, is the confessional statements of co-accused that have been retracted, Memon said.

However, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said much would depend on what Salem discloses to CBI about his alleged role in the 1993 bomb blasts during interrogation. "We have evidence against him and CBI would lead evidence at an appropriate stage."

According to CBI, the serial blasts were masterminded by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who executed the explosions through his close lieutenants, Mohammed Mustaffa, Tiger Memon and Abu Salem.

Eightyfive accused, including actor Sanjay Dutt, are on bail. Thirty others are custody. Twenty-eight more were discharged from the case while ten died during the trial. More than 20, including Dawood Ibrahim, Mohammed Dossa and Tiger Memon, are still absconding.

Altogether 257 persons were killed and 713 injured on March 12, 1993 when bombs exploded at 13 places in the city, including Bombay Stock Exchange, Air-India building, hotels Sea Rock and Juhu Centaur. Property worth Rs 27 crores was destroyed.

CBI alleged that the serial blasts was masterminded by Dawood Ibrahim to avenge the demolition of disputed Babri Masjid in Ayodhya at the instance of Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI.