One more ’93 blast accused on his way

Forty-seven-year-old Mustaffa Ahmed Umer Dossa and his 51-year-old brother were actively involved in the landing of huge consignments of RDX and arms at Dighi and Shekadi coast. The Dossa brothers and Tiger Memon along with Dawood Ibrahim’s younger brother Anees masterminded the landings.

They met in a hotel in Dubai on December 26, 1992, hatched the plan and were given the green signal by Dawood Ibrahim allegedly at the behest of Pakistani ISI.

New Delhi managed to secure the deportation of Majnoon only after last-ditch efforts by South Block and the Indian mission in Dubai to assure the Emirates government on a bilateral civil aviation agreement.

Last month, the government agreed to grant 500 additional seats to Emirates Airlines from Kochi.

At the same time, Abu Dhabi also conveyed that they had Mustaffa and Mohammed Dossa in their custody and signalled their intention of deporting them to India.

The Dossa brothers are on India’s Most Wanted list which was handed over to UAE on February 28.

It is learnt that Abu Dhabi was keen to get rid of both the blast accused as they feared that Dawood and Pakistani ISI had plans to eliminate them. In fact, the threat was so real that the Abu Dhabi authorities were even monitoring the prison food given to them.

On March 13, the Civil Aviation Ministry sent a letter agreeing to the additional 500 seats but added a rider that Indian carriers should also be allowed fifth freedom rights. This meant that Indian carriers would be allowed to pick up west-bound traffic from Dubai.

While Civil Aviation Ministry officials maintain that it was only a request to Dubai, the UAE government construed it as a conditionality. The letter was followed by Jha’s team to Dubai last week to bring them back.

However, due to the difference in perception — between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi — the latter developed cold feet and Jha returned empty-handed last Saturday.

Hectic consultations between the Home, Civil Aviation and External Affairs Ministries followed with South Block and Indian mission in UAE literally assuring that the demand of fifth freedom rights was only a request and not a conditionality.

After New Delhi convinced it through diplomatic channels, UAE changed its mind and conveyed its readiness to deport the accused.

It is learnt that Jha flew to Dubai on Sunday and was given Mustaffa Dossa’s custody. Now, New Delhi is now looking towards Dubai for his elder brother.