LeT ‘bomb-maker’ Tunda held guilty for 1996 Sonipat blasts

CHANDIGARH: Syed Abdul Karim Tunda, an alleged bomb-maker of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who has been named in 40 related terror cases in the country, was on Monday convicted of triggering two bomb blasts in Sonipat more than 20 years ago.

On December 28, 1996 the blasts had gone off - one in the market area not far from the Sonipat bus stand and another near a cinema in which 12 people were injured, seven of them seriously. However, all the victims had survived. This was followed by blasts in Rohtak and Panipat soon after.

During the hearing on Monday, additional district and sessions judge Sushil Garg convicted Tunda on charges of attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and under sections the Explosive Act for the Sonipat blasts. The quantum will be announced on Tuesday.

Initially, the police had arrested two persons, Shakeel Ahmed of Pilkhua in Uttar Pardesh and Mohammad Amir Khan of New Delhi, in the case. In their interrogation, both the accused confessed to their involvement in the case. According to Haryana police officials Amir had revealed that he had met Tunda in Pakistan and travelled with him to Bangladesh and other places to learn the skills needed to plant bombs.

Both Shakeel and Amir were acquitted by the court in 2002 and 2006. Meanwhile, in 1998, Tunda, a resident of Pilkhua was declared a proclaimed offender. The file was reopened in August 2013 after the special cell of Delhi police arrested Tunda in cases registered against him at Sonipat, Panipat and Rohtak. His trial in Panipat and Rohtak will continue. Sources told TOI that soon after arguments concluded on Monday, Tunda reiterated that on the day of the blasts he was in Pakistan and that he had nothing to do with the attack. The defense counsel too pleaded innocence of his client. Tunda, who comes from Pilkhua village of western UP, was a homeopath practitioner.

In 1980s, he came in contact with hardliners and learned manufacturing of bombs. He is alleged to have masterminded blasts triggered by LeT in New Delhi, Ludhiana, Kanpur and Varanasi as well between 1996 and 1998.