Mustafa Dossa, one of the convicts in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, died in JJ Hospital due to cardiac arrest at 2:30 pm on Wednesday.
Dossa, who was convicted under charges of conspiracy and terror activities by the TADA Court on June 16 this year, was admitted to the jail ward of the hospital for high fever, hypertension and uncontrolled diabetes. He was convicted for arranging the landing of arms and explosives in Raigad.
He "died due to cardiac arrest today at 2:30 pm," JJ Hospital Dean TP Lahane said on Wednesday. Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salve had on Tuesday sought death sentence for Dossa during the argument to decide on the quantum of punishment for the convicts.
During the trial, the TADA Court had said: "Dossa organised and actively participated in conspiratorial meetings held in Dubai. He and his brother were involved in the landing of arms and ammunition. Dossa helped the accused get training in Pakistan."
The consignment sent by Dossa included arms, ammunition and RDX (Research Department Explosive). The CBI had claimed that the Mumbai blast was the first ever terrorist attack in the world where the RDX was used on such a massive scale after the Second World War.
The court had also convicted four others — Abu Salem, Tahir Merchant, Karimullah Sheikh and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan — for their involvement in the blast that claimed the lives of 257 people and injured over 700 besides destroying property worth Rs 27 crore in Mumbai in March 1993.
Another accused Riaz Siddiqui was convicted under TADA charges but was acquitted of other charges framed against him because the court believed that the prosecution failed to prove charges of conspiracy against Siddiqui.
Abdul Qayyum, also an accused in the case, was acquitted of all charges by the court, which ordered his release on a personal bond. All the accused were acquitted of the charge of waging war against the country.
