LeT bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda convicted for Sonipat blasts in 1996

Tunda had pleaded during the trial that he was in Pakistan at the time of the blasts.

Abdul Karim Tunda was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on August 16 last year from the Indo-Nepal border. (Source: PTI photo)

Alleged Lashkar-e-Toiba bomb expert Abdul Karim alias Tunda was on Monday held guilty in the 1996 Sonipat bomb blasts case by a local court. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Tuesday.

Sonipat SP Satender Kumar Gupta said Tunda has been convicted under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120 B (conspiracy) of the IPC. He has also been convicted under Section 3 of the Explosives Act, he said.

Tunda, now 75, was among the 20 terrorists that India had asked Pakistan to hand over after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. He was arrested by Delhi Police from Banbasa near the India-Nepal border on August 16, 2013, and is suspected to have been involved in 40 blast cases across the country.

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On Monday, the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Sonipat, Dr Sushil Garg, convicted Tunda of involvement in a case relating to two bomb blasts at different locations in Sonipat town on December 28, 1996. Tunda’s lawyer Ashish Vats said they will challenge the district court’s verdict before the high court.

Around 15 persons were injured in the blasts.

Following the blasts, a case against unidentified persons was registered at the City Police Station, Sonipat on the complaint of one Sajjan Singh.

The police probe identified Abdul Karim alias Tunda of Ghaziabad, Mohammad Shakeel Ahmed of Pillakhuwa town in UP and Mohammad Amir Khan of Delhi as accused in the case. Khan and Ahmed were arrested in 1998 but acquitted in 2002 for want of evidence.

As many as 43 witnesses appeared in the court.

Tunda had pleaded during the trial that he was in Pakistan at the time of the blasts.