A TADA (Terrorist & Anti-Disruptive Activities Act) court in Ajmer, Rajasthan, acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda, the main accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case, on Thursday due to a lack of evidence. Meanwhile, two other accused, identified as Irfan alias Pappu and Hamiruddin, have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Lack of concrete evidence
According to Tunda's lawyer, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to provide substantial evidence in various acts, including TADA, IPC, Railway Acts, Arms Act, or Explosive Substances Act. Advocate Shafqat Sultani, representing Tunda, asserted Tunda's innocence, emphasizing that the court's judgment vindicated their long-held stance.
Sultani stated to ANI, "Abdul Karim Tunda is innocent, today the Court gave this judgement. Abdul Karim Tunda has been acquitted in all Sections and all Acts. The CBI prosecution could not produce any concrete piece of evidence before the court..."
Tunda's background and legal history
A resident of Pilkhua in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, Tunda, has been implicated in multiple bomb blast cases. Notably, in February 2023, he was acquitted by a trial court in Haryana in the 1997 twin Rohtak bomb blast cases due to lack of evidence.
Tunda's capture and legal proceedings
Tunda was apprehended near the India-Nepal border in August 2013. Known as Lashkar-e-Taiba's bomb expert, he was previously sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1996 Sonipat blast case. Tunda's association with Dawood Ibrahim is also widely reported.
Presently detained in Ajmer Jail, Tunda faces accusations in several other cases, ensuring his continued incarceration despite the acquittal in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case.
Also read | Farmers agitation: Congress' Ashok Chandna holds protest in Rajasthan's Bundi
