Saturday, March 18 2006 14:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: A special court today (Mar 18 2006) framed charges against extradited gangster Abu Salem and his alleged associate Riyaz Ahmed Siddiqui in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Salem was charged with offences under TADA (P) Act, Explosives Substances Act, Explosives Act, IPC and Arms Act, while Siddiqui was charged with offences under TADA (P) Act and the IPC.

Salem is charged with distributing arms and ammunition to co-accused, including film star Sanjay Dutt, and also with participating in the conspiracy leading to serial blasts in 1993 in Mumbai, in which 256 people were killed and 713 were injured.

Siddiqui is charged with particpating in the conspiracy hatched by absconding accused Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees Ibrahim to execute the blasts in Mumbai.

Besides, Siddiqui is also facing charges of providing vehicle to Abu Salem in which arms and ammunition were brought from Bharuch in Gujarat to Mumbai in the second week of Januar 1993.

Charges framed against Salem include section 3 (3) of TADA (P) Act (collecting and distributing arms and ammunition to co-accused), section 5 of TADA (P) Act (possessing firearms and weapons), section 6 of TADA (P) Act (transporting and storing firearms and weapons).

Salem is also charged with offences under section 4 (b) of Explosives Substance Act 1908 (possessing explosives), and section 5 of Explosives Substances Act 1908 (transporting explosives).

In addition to TADA (P) Act and Explosives Substances Act, Salem is also charged with offences under section 25, 3 and 7 of Arms Act 1959 (for possessing and carrying firearms and explosives).

Besides, he is charged with offences under section 5 of Explosives Act 1884 (for possessing explosives).