Mumbai: When the special TADA court hearing the 1993 Mumbai blasts case held Shahnawaz Qureshi guilty of his involvement in the Plaza Cinema blast, it also clearly established Pakistan's links to the attacks that had claimed 257 lives and left over 700 wounded on March 12, 1993.
For, Qureshi (48) is an Indian national who had been imparted arms training in Pakistan. According to Qureshi’s own confession, he was one among 19 persons who were taken to Pakistan to be trained in handling weapons and explosives. This was even confirmed by the approvers in the case, the police claim.
Qureshi’s passport, too, reportedly shows that he had visited Dubai in February 1993, when he was out of the country for 14 days. His passport does confirm the date of his leaving Dubai and the subsequent return. But it doesn't show where he had gone during this period.
On Monday, the designated court of Pramod Kode convicted Qureshi along with Tiger Memon's accountant Asgar Mukadam (45), for terrorist crime, bringing the total number of those convicted in the case so far to seven. The two were charged with planting RDX in a red Maruti van at the parking lot of Plaza Cinema on March 12, 1993. The explosion killed 10 persons and injured 37 others, apart from damaging property worth Rs 87 lakh.
Qureshi and Mukadam were found guilty under various sections of Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, Indian Penal Code, Explosive Substances Act and the Arms Act. The jobless 48-year-old Qureshi is the first found guilty from among at least 12 accused who had been charged with having trained in handling arms and explosives in Pakistan.
Qureshi was also found guilty of landing the RDX at Shekhadi in Raigad district between February 3-7, 1993, filling RDX in vehicles on March 11-12 in Al Hussaini's building of Tiger Memon at Mahim, participating in the conspiracy meetings, and going to Pakistan for training via Dubai. The conspiracy meetings were held at the residence of co-accused Nazir Ahmed Shaikh and Ms Mubina Baya in February-March, 1993.
Mukadam, who worked as a manager with Tiger Memon, had driven an RDX-laden car into the cinema hall complex and parked it near western wall of the building where it had exploded causing the casualties. Qureshi, his accomplice in the crime, was driven in the same car. Both the accused were identified by the two witnesses and an approver in the case.
The court found Mukadam guilty of facilitating terrorist acts by driving co-accused, who had planted explosives at Centaur hotel, Sahar airport and Hotel sea rock at Bandra. He was also charged with collecting money from Mool Chand Shah for disbursement to co-accused. The court would hear arguments on the quantum of sentence on the two on Tuesday.
(With agency inputs)
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