A Delhi court on Tuesday dropped charges under the TADA Act and the Explosive Substances Act against alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda in a 1994 case.
Additional Sessions Judge Neena Bansal Krishna discharged the 72-year-old Tunda, accused under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Explosive Substances Act (ESA), the Arms Act and criminal conspiracy.
Tunda was declared a proclaimed offender in a case relating to the recovery of explosive substances that was registered in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar police station in 1994.
Though Tunda got relief in the case relating to the recovery of explosive substances, he has to remain jail as he was allegedly involved in 33 bomb blasts in India between 1994 and 1998, 22 of which occurred in Delhi. He was arrested in August 2013.
Delhi Police, on March 12, 2014, filed a supplementary charge sheet against Tunda under the TADA and the ESA.
The court had earlier sought clarification from police whether they have any fresh evidence against Tunda for the charges under TADA.
The court observed that five other co-accused, arrested in the case, were discharged by a trial court in December 1999 from TADA charges.
However, they were convicted under the ESA and on charges of criminal conspiracy.
Police said the designated court, while acquitting the co-accused under the provisions of TADA, had said Tunda was excluded from its observations.
Defence counsel M.S. Khan opposed the police plea, and said the judgment of the designated court was not challenged and "the acquittal of the accused for the offences of conspiracy is in force".
He contended that there was no evidence against Tunda in the case.
