A Delhi court on Thursday dropped charges against suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) bomb maker Abdul Karim Tunda in connection with two separate blast cases here.Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh discharged Tunda in two blast cases -- October 28, 1997 blast in Karol Bagh and October 1, 1997 explosion in Sadar Bazar.Though Tunda got relief in both the cases but he has to remain in jail as he was named as an accused in 33 other bomb blast cases across India between 1994 and 1998, 22 of which occurred in Delhi.On October 28, 1997 a bomb had exploded in Bedanpura area of Karol Bagh in central Delhi resulting in the death of a woman. During a subsequent search operation, a live bomb was recovered by investigators and defused.Police have chargesheeted Tunda for various offences dealing with murder, attempt to murder and provisions of the Explosive Substances Act.
In the 1997 Sadar Bazar blast, Delhi Police have chargesheeted Tunda under an offence dealing with voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy.Tunda's counsel M.S. Khan claimed that Tunda was innocent and that the other two co-accused Mohammad Shakeel alias Hamza and Mohammad Amir were either acquitted or discharged.He contended that there was no evidence against Tunda in the cases.Another court on March 10 also discharged the 72-year-old Tunda, accused under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act, the Arms Act and criminal conspiracy.