Page 48 - 15MAY2019E

1993 Mumbai serial

blast convict dies

Convicted for planting a bomb at Century Bazar, one of the 12 sites devastated by serial blasts in the
country’s financial capital on March 12, 1993, Abdul Gani Turk was serving life imprisonment after
his death sentence was commuted, reports tehelka bureau

bdul Gani Turk, one of the from the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. It was wood Ibrahim, the Pakistan-based
convicts in the 1993 Mum- also the first terror attack on Indian soil underworld boss and India’s ‘most
bai serial blasts, died on in which RDX was used as the explosive wanted’ fugitive who also has his name
April 25 in Government material. prominently figuring on the ‘most
A Medical College and Hos- At 1:30 pm on March 12, the first wanted’ lists of the US and the Interpol.
pital (GMCH), Nagpur. The 68-year-old, car bomb went off in the basement of Dawood was assisted in this act by Tiger
whose death sentence was later com- the Bombay Stock Exchange building. Memon, one of his most trusted associ-
muted to a life term, was lodged in The 28-story office building and sur- ates who is also believed to be hiding
Nagpur Central Jail since 2012 for his rounding structures were thoroughly somewhere in Pakistan.
role in the bombings that left 257 dead. damaged. About 50 were killed in The bombings were financed by
He was convicted for planting a this explosion. Over the next two hour expatriate Indian smugglers based out
bomb at Century Bazar, one of the 12 10 minutes, till 3.40 pm, car bombs of the UAE. The Indian authorities have
sites devastated by serial blasts in the and scooter bombs went off at regular also pointed at the active involvement
country’s financial capital on March 12, intervals at many locations in the city. of the Pakistani intelligence agency,
1993. He had filled vehicles with RDX They were: the Fisherman’s Colony in Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in the
and transported arms and ammunition Mahim causeway, Zaveri Bazaar, Plaza blasts. Several terrorists received their
to the blast site. Cinema, Century Bazaar, Katha Bazaar, arms, ammunition and explosives
According to Jail superintendent Hotel Sea Rock, the Air India Build- training in Pakistan. Nearly all were
Rani Bhosle, Turk was not keeping ing, Hotel Juhu Centaur, Worli and the recruited from Dubai or went to Paki-
well for some time and was taken to Passport Office. Grenades were lobbed stan via Dubai.
the GMCH on April 22. Later he was at Sahar Airport. Following the December 6 destruc-
brought back and being treated at the The attacks were planned by Da- tion of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya
prison hospital. He fell unconscious by right wing Hindu fanatics, wide-
on April 25 morning and rushed to the spread riots gripped Mumbai. There
GMCH where he was declared dead in Turk was not keeping were allegations of the police col-
the afternoon. He had suffered paraly- luding with rioters in which certain
sis last year. The cause of death will be well for some time minority-inhabited areas were tar-
known after autopsy report is available, and was taken to the geted. The planners thus managed to
the superintendent added. rope in disgruntled Muslim youths
On March 12, 1993, the city of Mum- GMCH on April 22. Later who would travel to Dubai, then to
bai was rocked by 13 explosions in dif- he was brought back Pakistan to receive training, then come
ferent parts of the city. It resulted in 257 back to India to actually execute the
fatalities and over 700 were injured. and being treated at attacks.
According to some news reports, the The original plan was to attack
death toll was over 300 and the number the prison hospital. He Mumbai in April during the Shiv Jay-
of injured stood at 1,400. It is the largest again fell unconscious anti celebrations but was advanced
coordinated terror attack to have tak- after Gul Noor Mohammad Sheikh a.k.a.
en place on Indian soil in terms of the on April 25 and rushed Gullu was detained at the Nav Pada
number of casualties. It was also one of to the GMCH where he police station on March 9, 1993. Gullu
the most well-planned terror attacks to was one of the 19 men handpicked by
have been perpetrated in India apart was declared dead Tiger Memon and sent to Pakistan via

Tehelka / 15 may 2019 48 www.Tehelka.com