1993 serial bomb blasts: Firoz’s plea to turn approver rejected

The special TADA court on Wednesday rejected the application filed by 1993 serial bomb blasts accused Firoz Khan seeking to turn approver in the case. As soon as the special TADA judge rejected his application to turn approver, Firoz requested the court to shift him back to the Arthur road jail till Ramzan Id. However, considering his security and safety aspect, as other 1993 blast case accused are in Arthur Road jail, the judge rejected this oral application too.

Firoz had expressed his desire to turn approver in the case but the CBI in its reply had rejected his proposal and had informed the court that the agency has ample evidence to prove charges against all the accused. The court however was supposed to take a final call on his application and it rejected his application on Wednesday. Though his application was pending, he was shifted to Taloja jail considering his security.

In the meantime, the special judge on Wednesday directed Arthur Road jail authorities to shift another 1993 blast case accused Mustafa Dossa into high security anda cell. The judge passed this direction while hearing an application filed by Arthur road jail authorities seeking to transfer Dossa to Thane Central jail.

According to sources, jail authorities in their application have alleged that Dossa was forming his own gang inside the jail. The jail officials also said that over 60 per cent of the inmates are Muslims and Dosa has supremacy over them. The jail officials also said that on May 30, there was a fight in the jail between two groups and they suspect Dossa’s role in it.

The sources said the application further read the jail is overcrowded and houses inmates three times its capacity and the possibility of Dossa being attacked has also not been ruled out. Seven accused — extradited gangsters Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum — are facing trial in the case.