Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Mumbai serial blasts, the CBI on Thursday took into custody Dawood Ibrahim’s close aide Mohammed Farooq Yasin Mansoor, alias Farooq Takla, for his role as a key conspirator in the March 12, 1993 serial bombings.

Takla (57), who was arrested by the CBI at the New Delhi airport on his extradition from Abu Dhabi at 5.15 am, was brought to Mumbai and produced before a designated TADA court which later in the day remanded him in the investigative agency’s custody till March 19.

Takla, who was part of the inner circle of the Karachi-based underworld don Dawood Ibrahim then, had allegedly provided logistic support to the co-accused to engineer the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and sent several of them for training to Pakistan via Dubai.

Takla’s extradition had followed a request made by the Indian Government to the Government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 22, 2017.

Takla had been absconding for the past 25 years. He had faced several non-bailable warrants of arrest against him, so much so that the Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against him way back in 1995. He was finally traced to Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

In its application seeking Takla’s custody, the CBI stated that Takla was “deeply involved” in the criminal conspiracy to terrorist acts, including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. “The accused was never available in this case as he remained absconding despite our best efforts to nab him following NBWS and a Red Corner Notice against him,” the remand application stated.

It may be recalled that 257 people were killed, 713 others injured and properties worth Rs 27 crore were destroyed in the March 12, 1993 serial blasts.

Takla is accused number A-196 named in the charge-sheet filed by the Mumbai Police in the serial blasts case on November 11, 1993. He was declared proclaimed offender by a TADA court in Mumbai on June 19, 1995.

The CBI’s case is that Takla participated in the criminal conspiracy behind the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, as a key conspirator and perpetrator along with other accused like Dawood Ibrahim, Anees Ibrahim and others.

Apart from providing logistic support like providing air tickets to other accused, Takla arranged hotel accommodation to Salim Bismilla Khan alias Salim Kurla and four others on their arrival from India in Dubai. He also facilitated the onward journey of Salim Kurla and four others for arms and explosives handling training in Pakistan.

Though his interrogation in its custody, the CBI expects to unravel more aspects relating to the criminal conspiracy behind the 1993 blasts and also gather additional evidence against him and other known and unknown absconding accused, particularly Dawood Ibrahim and Anees Ibrahim, in the Mumbai serial bombings.

Considered one of biggest terror strikes in the world, the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts had benumbed the entire country.

Immaculately planned and executed as it had been, the perpetrators behind the 1993 blasts had targeted 13 prominent sites in Mumbai for the blasts. The targets included: Bombay Stock Exchange (84 killed/217 injured), Katha Bazar (4 killed/21 injured), Sena Bhavan (4 killed/50 injured), Century Bazaar (113 killed/227 injured), Mahim Causeway (3 killed/6 injured), Air-India building (20 killed/87 injured), Zaveri Bazaar (17 killed/57 injured), Hotel SeaRock (no casualties), Plaza Theatre (10 killed/37 injured), Juhu Centaur Hotel (3 injured), Airport Bay-54 (no casualties) and Airport Centaur Hotel (2 killed/8 injured).

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Friday, 09 March 2018 | TN RAGHUNATHA | Mumbai