1993 Mumbai blasts accused convicted in passport forgery case
What's the story
Farooq Takla, a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, has been sentenced to five years in prison for passport forgery. The magistrate court found him guilty of making a fake passport in someone else's name. However, this sentence will be considered served, as Takla has already spent over five years in jail waiting for trial.
Extradition and arrest
Takla's history of identity deception
Takla, whose real name is Mohammed Farooq Yasin Mansoor, has been in jail since 2018. He was brought back from the United Arab Emirates after he was found to be a conspirator in the Mumbai blasts, but had been absconding since 1995. During his stay in the UAE, he had used an alias to acquire a passport fraudulently from the Indian Consulate in Dubai.
Legal proceedings
CBI charges and court ruling
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charged Takla under the Passport Act and for cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate R.D. Chavan said in his ruling that "the accused failed to show that he has a valid passport of his own name on the relevant date of journey." He added that Takla did not furnish details of his passport or other information.
Trial details
Evidence presented in court
At trial, CBI's Special Public Prosecutor Rajkumar Meena submitted letters written by Takla to the PM in his assumed name as evidence. A specimen of his handwriting was also submitted to substantiate allegations of forgery in his passport application. The court based its decision on forensic evidence and testimonies of witnesses, including an immigration officer at Delhi airport.