1993 blasts: Non-bailiable warrant issued against 2 convicts

The special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court on Friday issued non-bailable warrants against two convicts of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case as they failed to surrender within the deadline set by the Supreme Court.

Actor Sanjay Dutt, for whom Thursday's deadline had been set by the SC, has surrendered before the authorities. But the two fellow convicts, Sharif (Dada) Parkar and Zebunisa Kazi, on Friday moved separate applications before the TADA court seeking more time to surrender on medical grounds.

Sharif (Dada) Parkar, who is over 80 years old, had been hospitalised following chest pain, and doctors had advised him angioplasty procedure, his lawyer Farhana Shah told the Judge G A Sanap.

The lawyer of Zebunisa Kazi, 75 said Kazi had been advised to take certain medical tests and she needed time till May 20.

The TADA judge, however, said it would not be possible for him to consider these pleas as the deadline had been fixed by the apex court. While Parkar was to surrender on Thursday, Kazi was to give herself up before the court on Friday.

Prosecutor Deepak Salvi moved an application seeking non-bailable arrest warrants against the two for not following the Supreme Court's order. The court accepted the plea and issued non-bailable warrants.

Parkar had played a role in organising the landing of arms and RDX in Raigad district at the instance of Tiger Memon. The RDX was used in the March 1993 serial blasts. He had also arranged a conspiracy meeting in Raigad.       

Kazi was convicted for allowing the co-accused to keep some weapons at her house for a while.

Image: Central Mumbai’s Plaza Theatre devastated by a blast in 1993