1993 Mumbai serial blasts case: Newly emancipated Abdul Qayyum says India is his country, will stay here and do business

Abdul Qayyum, after spending 10 years behind the bars was on Saturday released from Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail after a special TADA court acquitted him of all the charges in the 1993 serial blasts case.  

Qayyum, after being released from the jail expressed his will to live in India and earn the livelihood by doing some business of his own.

“I request (authorities) that the innocent should be spared and not made to suffer. India is my country and I will stay here and do business to earn a livelihood,” he said.

“Abdul Qayyum was released at around 5.15 pm on Saturday following the Court’s order,” Arthur Road jail superintendent, Harshad Ahirrao told PTI.

Also Read: 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case: Timeline of attack and trial

On Friday, after 24 years of the 1993 serial blasts that rocked Mumbai claiming 257 lives and injuring over 700 people, a special TADA court convicted six persons and acquitted Qayyum in the second leg of the trial in the case.

Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim along with Tiger Memon are the prime conspirators in the case. Special TADA court on Friday found Abu Salem and Mustafa Dossa guilty of criminal conspiracy charges.

Along with the two gangsters, Firoz Khan, Karimullah Khan, Taher Merchant were also found guilty of conspiracy charges leveled against them.

The Court has set next hearing date on June 20, to decide the date for argument on the quantum of sentence.