Fugitives Denied Bail in Deadly 1993 Mumbai Bombings

On November 8, 2025, a special court in Mumbai rejected the bail pleas of two accused who had been on the run for nearly three decades in connection with the 1993 Bombay serial bomb blasts. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the crime, the alleged roles of the accused, and their prolonged fugitive status.

Munaf Abdul Majid Halari is accused of providing crucial logistical support for the coordinated terrorist attack that rocked the city of Bombay on March 12, 1993, claiming 257 lives and injuring 713 others. Mohd Shoeb Qureshi is alleged to be one of the principal conspirators, having attended meetings in Dubai led by the prime accused, Dawood Ibrahim, and later traveling to Pakistan for arms training.

The prosecution vehemently opposed the bail applications, arguing that the accused were deeply involved in the conspiracy. Halari was allegedly responsible for purchasing and arranging three brand-new scooters used to plant RDX explosives at various blast sites, including Zaveri Bazar, where one of the scooters exploded, killing 17 people.

The court noted that while two of the explosive-laden scooters were successfully defused by the police, the third, parked at Zaveri Bazar, exploded, causing significant loss of life. The judge emphasized that the gravity of the crime and the accused's lengthy absconding period of nearly three decades were key factors in denying their bail pleas.