INDIA. Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Sunday arrested one Nabi Yahya Khan alias KGN Lala (55), for making a call to the Mumbai Police control room and saying that a series of bomb blasts would be carried out within the next two months in the city.
The accused dialed the control room on Saturday and threatened to carry out “1993-style bomb blasts” across Mumbai and claimed that some people from different states had been called to the city to carry out communal riots, the ATS official said.
Soon, the ATS swung into action and formed two special teams to trace the caller. The Juhu unit of the ATS nabbed Khan from Pathanwadi in the Malad area of north Mumbai.
An FIR was registered under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 505-I (Statement conducing to public mischief) and 182 (False information, with intent to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person). The accused was later handed over to Azad Maidan Police for further investigation.
The accused, who had 12 criminal cases, including robbery, molestation, land grabbing, etc registered against him at different police stations, was externed by the Malad Police in 2021.
History
It may be recalled that on March 12, 1993 (Friday), Mumbai was rocked by bomb blasts at 12 places, including the Bombay Stock Exchange, Fort, Air India building, Nariman Point, Zaveri Bazaar, Katha Bazaar—in South Mumbai, Century Bazaar, Passport Office, Worli, Plaza Cinema, Shiv Sena Bhavan, Dadar, Fisherman’s Colony in Mahim Causeway—in Central Mumbai, Hotel Sea Rock, Bandra, Terminal at Sahar Airport (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport; and Hotel Juhu Centaur in North West Mumbai.
Most of the bombs were car bombs (containing RDX), and some were carried out by placing RDX in scooters. The blasts were carried out in retaliation for the demolition of a disputed structure in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on December 6, 1992.
After the demolition, the worst-ever communal riots erupted in Mumbai. In the March 1993 blasts 257 people died, over 1,400 were injured, and property worth nearly Rs 27 crore was damaged.
The bomb blasts were carried out by absconding gangster Dawood Ibrahim, backed by Pakistan’s ISI. After a prolonged trial, Dawood’s deputies-Tiger Memon and Yakoob Memon were awarded the death penalty by the Supreme Court. While Tiger Memon is still at large, Yakoob Memon was hanged on July 30, 2015, at Nagpur Central Jail.
More than 100 people were convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act at the time. By now, the jail term of some of the accused has been commuted, while others are still in jail.
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