Update on the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts sentencing hearing: Extradited gangster Abu Salem was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a Mumbai court in the 1993 serial blasts case. Besides Salem, the court also sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment in connection with the case.


A special TADA court had in June convicted six persons, including mastermind Mustafa Dossa and Salem, in the blasts case, 24 years after the attacks left 257 people dead in the country's financial capital. It, however, let off accused Abdul Quayyum, for want of evidence.


This was the second leg of the trial. All the seven accused were facing multiple charges which included criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India and murder. The court had earlier held that prosecution proved Salem was one of the main conspirators and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted in earlier phase of trial under the Arms Act).


Salem, who was close to (Dawood's brother) Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court earlier said. This was "vital towards achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India," the court had said.


The trial of Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum was separated from the main case as they were arrested subsequently. Dossa died of cardiac arrest at J J Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted, on June 28.