1993 blasts convict Mustafa Dossa buried

Mumbai, June 29 (IANS) Convicted smuggler and mafia operative Mustafa Ahmed Dossa, who died following a heart attack here was buried at the Bada Kabrastan in Charni Road early on Thursday.

The funeral was attended by around 200 persons, mostly family members, friends and a large posse of police personnel. One son based in Dubai, Shahnawaz, also arrived for the last rites.

Dossa was pronounced guilty by a Special TADA Court on June 16 for his role in the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, and died on Wednesday shortly before his expected sentencing.

He was admitted to hospital early on Wednesday for hypertension, heart and diabetes-related issues. Dossa passed away under treatment around 2.35 p.m., T.P. Lahane, Dean, Sir J. J. Hospital, announced.

Dossa, alias Mustafa Majnu, who was in his mid-50s, is survived by his brother, Mohammed Dossa, who is a co-accused in the same case and on the run, his second wife and five children.

He was charged with and found guilty of landing three tonnes of the deadly RDX and AK-56 army assault rifles on Maharashtra's Raigad coast weeks before the 1993 blasts, and was part of the conspiracy meetings held in Dubai in the homes of absconder mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his brother Mohammed Dossa.

Among those present at those meetings between December 1992-January 1993 were the blasts mastermind Dawood and Tiger Memon who implemented the plans.

Hailing from Agripada in south Mumbai, Dossa mostly lived as a "colourful" and dapper businessman in Dubai, but in early 2003, he was arrested in a local case and was to be deported from the UAE. He decided to come to India and was arrested on March 20 that year after he landed at the New Delhi Airport.

On June 16, nearly 24 years after the blasts rocked Mumbai, Special TADA Court Judge G.A. Sanap found him and five others guilty in the case. Since the past few days, the arguments for the sentencing were underway before the Special Judge.

On Tuesday, June 27, Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salve fired his salvo by seeking "the death penalty for Dossa", contending his (Dossa's) role in the blasts was even more serious than the hanged convict, Yakub Memon.

According to sources, Dossa was reputed for maintaining a grand lifestyle in jails, getting home-cooked food, regular family visitors, and even an attendant to care for his needs who reportedly waited outside the jail round-the-clock.

The sources said that he had a soft corner for the Muslim inmates in prison and even organised 'iftaars' for them (breaking the fast) during Ramadan months, making him a popular figure.

Dossa's trial was held along with Abu Salem who was deported from Portugal in 2005, Mohammed Tahir Merchant alias Tahil Takla, Karimullah Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui and Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan (all found guilty), while another accused, Abdul Qayyum, was acquitted from the case.