Court to declare sentences of 1993 serial blasts convicts

Mumbai: The special TADA court will pronounce the quantum of punishment for 1993 blasts convicts Abu Salem and four others on September 7. The special TADA court had completed hearing of argument on the quantum of the punishment to be awarded to the convicts on August 10. Special judge G.A. Sanap said that he would pronounce the quantum of punishment on September 7.

Meanwhile, the judge said he would also pronounce judgment in builder Pradeep Jain murder case. Riyaz Siddiqui, who is one of the convicts in 93 serial blast case, is also accused of murdering builder Pradeep Jain.

On March 7, 1995, Jain was shot dead by assailants outside his bungalow in suburban Juhu after he refused to hand over his huge property to Salem, who was then staying abroad. Naeem Khan, one of the accused in the Pradeep Jain murder case, turned approver. However, another accused Siddiqui, who had also become an approver, turned hostile during the trial. Hence Siddiqui’s trial was held separately, and the verdict would be pronounced on August 31.

The court has already convicted Salem in the Pradeep Jain murder case.

It may be recalled that the special TADA court on June 16, 2017, convicted six persons in the 1993 serial blast case.