Explained: Abdul Karim Tunda's acquittal brings back grim memories of 1993 serial blast case

Abdul Karim Tunda, a key accused in the 1993 train bomb blast case, was released citing lack of evidence on February 29. As the the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities court pronounced the verdict, the people of Mumbai were reminded of the city's tryst with its first terror attack that claimed hundreds of lives and caused extensive damage to public property.

When did it begin?
The explosions began on March 12, 1993, in the afternoon and continued for more than two hours. Around 13 bombs had exploded in quick succession. Many have dubbed the day as 'Black Friday'.

Target areas
The explosions targeted prominent landmarks in Mumbai. These include the Bombay Stock Exchange, Air India building, a petrol pump near the Shiv Sena headquarters at Shivaji Park, and two movie theatres in Central Bombay, among other areas. As many as 257 people were killed and 713 injured at over a dozen places across India's financial capital.

Link to Babri Masjid demolition
The blasts were the culmination of the communal riots that had gripped Mumbai city between December 1992 and January 1993 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. The terror strikes turned Dawood Ibrahim, who was hitherto known as an underworld don, into an international terrorist. The investigations also revealed the D-Company’s nexus with Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence and the global terrorist networks.

Court trials
Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon were declared the mastermind of the explosions. A total of 140 faced trial, of which 17 of them died during the course of the trial. Of the remaining 123, 23 were acquitted and 100 were convicted. Twelve of them were awarded death penalties. While Tiger's brother Yakub was executed, Tiger and Dawood remained scot-free. As many as 686 witnesses were examined, believed to be the highest in the country, and 88 accused gave confessional statements, although 10 were rejected.