LeT bomb-maker Abdul Karim Tunda acquitted in 1993 serial blast case
Tunda’s involvement is suspected to be in at least 40 bomb blast cases across the country, including the 1993 Mumbai train blasts.
The special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) court on Thursday acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda, a key accused in the 1993 serial bomb blast case, citing lack of evidence.
This is not the first time that a court has ruled in favour of Tunda for a similar reason. In March 2016, a Delhi court said the police could not prove that Tunda, a man with a blown-off hand, was a bomb-maker. The court said there was no proof that Tunda could be a Lashkar-e-Taiba bomb-maker.
Tunda has already been let off in the Sadar Bazaar and Kotla bomb blasts for lack of evidence.
Abdul Karim Tunda, a notorious figure allegedly associated with several terror outfits, had been facing charges related to his involvement in the coordinated bomb blasts that rocked several locations in 1993.
The 1993 serial bomb blasts, one of the most devastating terror attacks in India's history, shook the nation to its core, claiming hundreds of innocent lives and causing extensive property damage. The explosions targeted prominent landmarks in Mumbai, including the Bombay Stock Exchange and various other commercial and residential areas.
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Tunda has allegedly been associated with extremist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI), among others.
Despite his alleged involvement in numerous terrorist activities, Tunda managed to evade law enforcement for many years, operating clandestinely and often crossing international borders to avoid capture. However, in August 2013, he was finally apprehended by Indian authorities near the Indo-Nepal border.
Following his arrest, Tunda faced a slew of charges related to terrorism, including conspiracy, murder, and waging war against the state.
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In October 2017, a Sonepat court pronounced the bomb maker guilty in the 1996 Sonepat blasts case and awarded him life imprisonment. Tunda was held guilty under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act.
Originally from Uttar Pradesh, he is accused of teaching bomb-making to jihadists in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Some reports said he was planning to train Rohingyas from Myanmar to target the Buddhists there.