An unattended Maruti van near Worli's Seimens factory and a scooter found abandoned at Naigon were the first two leads in the case.

A TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act) court today pronounced judgment in the Abu Salem case related to 1993 serial bombings.

The case saw a separate hearing from 2013 after Abu Salem was extradited from Portugal with the rider that he would not be awarded capital punishment.

The TADA court held in its judgment that the Mumbai serial blasts were carried out to avenge the demolition of Babri mosque in Ayodhya in December, 1992. Communal riots have broken out in several parts of the country including Mumbai after the demolition of Babri mosque.

FIRST WARNING WAS IGNORED

The Mumbai police had arrested on Gul Mohammad in connection with riots in the city. During interrogation in late 1992, Gul Mohammad told the Mumbai police that blasts were being planned to avenge Babri demolition.

Gul Mohammad told the police that he had been sent to Dubai and Pakistan to get training for carrying out the attacks.

The intelligence agencies and the customs department had also got tip-offs about weapon consignment being smuggled into India.

But, Mumbai police did not believe Gul Mohammad. However, many believe that Gul Mohammad's statement to police forced Tiger Memon, Dawood Ibrahim and their team to alter the original date of bomb blasts, which were planned for April.

THE ATTACKS

On March 12, 1993, 12 bombs went off in Mumbai at 12 different places. As many as 257 people were killed and over 700 others injured.

The 12 coordinated bomb blasts rocked Mumbai for over two hours. The blast took place at the Bombay Stock Exchange at 1.30 pm while the last bomb went off at Airport Centaur Hotel at 3.40 pm. Bombs did not explode at a few other places.

Other places where blasts took place included Plaza Cinema, Sea Rock Hotel and Zaveri Bazar.

THE PROBE: FIRST CLUES

The scale of attacks and the explosives used for the blasts presented a big challenge to the Mumbai Police, which was then headed by AS Samra. The then Mumbai police commissioner surprised many with his choice of the officer to lead the probe.

Rakesh Maria was the DCP traffic when he was picked up to lead a team of over 150 officials. At the first meeting, Rakesh Maria asked his team members to report whatever unusual they found in the city that day.

Of all the reported things, Maria picked up two leads to follow. A Maruti van had been found unattended near Worli's Seimens factory. The vehicle was full of automatic weapons and hand grenades.

The other lead was a scooter found abandoned at Naigon.

Mumbai police soon tracked the Maruti van to Al Hussaini building located in Mahim and was owned by the Memons. Incidentally, the Memons had left the building only two days back.

While inspecting one of the rooms in the building Rakesh Maria found a scooter key on a refrigerator. The key matched with the lock of the scooter found unattended at Naigaon. It belonged to Memons.

The first connection was evident to the Mumbai police.

NATIONWIDE RAIDS, ARRESTS

In an interview to Mumbai Mirror, Rakesh Maria said that the probe team travelled across the country in search of suspects. The team went to 79 cities across 17 states and arrested about 180 suspects.

Of all the arrested persons, two revealed the plot from beginning to end. They turned approvers and were set free in 2007.

One of the approvers was Jan Khan Usman Khan alias Badhshah Khan.

HOW IT WAS PLANNED

Badshah Khan did some small-time real estate business in Santakruz area and was part of Tiger Memon's smuggling syndicate.

Badshah Khan told Mumbai police that he was part of the attack team since beginning. He told them that he had been sent to Pakistan for training in handling explosives and making bombs.

After he and others returned from Pakistan, Tiger Memon held a meeting in a hotel room of Big Splash at Alibaugh in late December, 1992. The first plot of the attack was put forth at this meeting, Badshah Khan told the Mumbai police.

Another meeting was held, some time later, at residence of Tiger Memon's foster sister Mubina Bhayana at Bandra. The core group including Badshah Khan attended the final conspiracy meet.

Badshah Khan told the police that over a dozen places were surveyed to carry out bomb blasts. Khan was involved in at least half a dozen recces.

EXECUTION OF FIRST SERIAL BLASTS

The bombs were assembled at Tiger Memon's residence in Al Hussaini building. On the fateful day, Badshah Khan was given the responsibility to carry out grenade attack and was in the Maruti van that provided first clue to the Mumbai police to unravel the serial blast case.

Badshah Khan told Mumbai police that after he heard of a small blast at Worli, he lost heart and fled the scene leaving the explosives-ladden van unattended.

Badshah Khan fled first to Uttar Pradesh, then to Rajasthan before taking shelter in a Delhi hotel from where he was arrested by Mumbai police only to help the probe team to give a detailed account of the planning and execution of the first of its kind serial bombings in the world.

ALSO READ | 1993 Mumbai serial blasts: Abu Salem, five others found guilty by TADA court, Abdul Qayyum acquitted

ALSO READ | 1993 Mumbai blasts case: Abu Salem's confession in 2005 helped prosecution to convict others

ALSO WATCH | Mustafa Dossa, Abu Salem convicted in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case