Brains behind blasts still free

MUMBAI: Despite the Supreme Court punishing several convicts in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case, the main brains behind the attack that crippled the city are still free. They include underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, main orchestrator of the blasts Mushtaque Ibrahim Memon alias Tiger Memon, Mohammed Umar Dossa, Anish Ibrahim and Anwar Thiba, who are believed to be hiding in Pakistan.
Tiger Memon, the police claimed, suffered huge losses in the communal riots and planned to avenge that. Dossa and Memon conducted the conspiracy meeting with Dawood and his brother, Anis, the police added. "Though the court has convicted all those who were arrested and tried, the main players are free. They fled the country and are hiding in Pakistan. India has issued red corner notices against them but they have not yet been caught," said a senior police officer.
Dossa, now around 56, was a smuggler-cum-gangster of the D-gang. He had participated in the third landing of arms and ammunition in February 1993 at Dighi, while Thiba, a Bandra resident, was associated with Tiger Memon. "He had gone to Pakistan, took training in operating firearms and returned to India. He was involved in the transportation of firearms. He accompanied the co-accused in a Maruti van with firearms and hand grenades. The car was abandoned in Worli and it was the first clue in the case," the officer added.
Security establishment sources said India has tried to get hold of the fugitives but has been unsuccessful. "We are trying to get the accused to face trial. In the last decade, several bomb blast accused were deported and extradited. They are facing trial. We hope that the main brains will be brought to book," another officer said.