Till March 14, two days after the 1993 blasts, the investigation team consisting of 162 men and led by Rakesh Maria, who is now Maharashtra ATS chief, was clueless.
"Then we got an information that an abandoned Maruti van, carrying seven AK 56s and four hand grenades, were seized by police from Worli in Central Mumbai on the day of the blasts," Maria said.
"When we verified in whose name the van was registered, we found it was in Rubina's name with her address at Al-Hussaini building in Mahim, central Mumbai," he said.
Rubina is the wife of Memon's brother Suleiman, who was acquitted by the trial court. However, she was convicted on conspiracy charges as the vehicle seized by the police was in her name.
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Maria said seven people in the van had plans to drive to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and barge into the Assembly Hall for indiscriminately firing at corporators.
However, a small blast occurred when they reached Worli and apprehending trouble, they abandoned the vehicle to avert arrest and did not pursue the plan.
Ten cases were of bomb explosions, two pertained to lobbing of hand grenades, two others were registered after abandoned scooters were found at different places and six cases were under Arms Act, filed at various police stations.
The probe spanned across the country with investigators visiting 70 cities and towns in 17 states.
As there were no computers or mobile phones, it was the hardwork of his men which "resulted in uncovering the faces of the accused involved in the blasts," Maria said.