6 Found Guilty for Role in India’s Deadliest Bombing
In India, a court has convicted six men for their role in the 1993 bombing attack that rocked the financial hub, Mumbai, killing 257 people.
The six have been found guilty of murder, transporting weapons and criminal conspiracy. The prosecution said it is likely to seek the death penalty when the punishment is decided next week.
The men were arrested several years after the coordinated attacks in which 13 powerful bombs packed in cars and other vehicles ripped through high profile targets such as the Mumbai stock exchange, crowded markets, and a five-star hotel.
Besides those killed, more than 700 were injured by the deadly explosions that devastated the city for two hours.
Two of the convicted men are believed to be the key planners of the attacks.
Prosecution lawyer Deepak Salve said Abu Salem, who had fled India and was extradited from Portugal, was found guilty of transporting weapons from the Indian state of Gujarat to Mumbai, while Mustafa Dossa had helped to smuggle explosives into the city.
He said Tahir Merchant had facilitated training camps in Pakistan to give training in handling weapons and explosives to carry out the blasts.
The blasts are believed to have been carried out in retaliation for the demolition of a 16th century mosque by Hindu activists and for subsequent riots that claimed the lives of many Muslims.
Friday’s verdict concluded the second leg of a trial that has dragged on for many years. One hundred people had been convicted in 2007 following a marathon trial.
So far, one person, Yakub Memon, convicted of plotting and financing the bombings, has been executed.
India says the attack was masterminded by Memon’s brother, Dawood Ibrahim, a mafia don. New Delhi says he is hiding in Pakistan and has asked Islamabad to extradite him. But Pakistan denies he is living in the country.