Taher Merchant, 1993 blasts convict, dies in Sassoon hosp

  • | Thursday | 19th April, 2018

He was shifted to Sassoon General Hospital around 3am for treatment as advised by the medical officer. We are collecting medical documents pertaining to the ailments he suffered and the postmortem report from the jail and Sassoon hospital for investigations. He was taking medicines since he came here on September 9, 2017.”A doctor from the state-run Sassoon General Hospital, who did not want to be named, said, “Merchant's postmortem was inconclusive for ascertaining the cause of death. Pune: Taher Mohammad Merchant , who was sentenced to death in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case and lodged in Yerawada Central Prison in Pune, died while undergoing treatment at Sassoon General Hospital around 3.45am on Wednesday.Jail superintendent U T Pawar told TOI, “A medical officer examined Merchant (64) after he complained of breathlessness and severe chest pain. His convict number was 17688 and he was lodged in a cell for death row convicts.A revenue official of the rank of nayab tahsildar conducted the panchanama of his body.

Pune: Taher Mohammad Merchant , who was sentenced to death in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case and lodged in Yerawada Central Prison in Pune, died while undergoing treatment at Sassoon General Hospital around 3.45am on Wednesday.Jail superintendent U T Pawar told TOI, “A medical officer examined Merchant (64) after he complained of breathlessness and severe chest pain. He was shifted to Sassoon General Hospital around 3am for treatment as advised by the medical officer. The hospital’s authorities informed us that he passed away around 3.45am. He had a medical history of ailments. He was taking medicines since he came here on September 9, 2017.”A doctor from the state-run Sassoon General Hospital, who did not want to be named, said, “Merchant's postmortem was inconclusive for ascertaining the cause of death. We have preserved his viscera for histopathological examination.”The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Merchant on June 8, 2010 after he was extradited to India from Abu Dhabi for his role in the 12 serial blasts in Mumbai that killed 257 people and injured 713 on March 12, 1993.The TADA court in Mumbai sentenced Merchant to death on September 7, 2017 along with Feroze Khan. He was shifted from Arthur Road Prison to Yerawada jail. His convict number was 17688 and he was lodged in a cell for death row convicts.A revenue official of the rank of nayab tahsildar conducted the panchanama of his body. His postmortem was filmed. The district collectorate will nominate a magistrate to probe the circumstances leading to his death.Yerawada police’s senior inspector Mukund Mahajan said, “We have registered a complaint of accidental death under section 174 (police to inquire into suicide etc) of the Criminal Procedure Code. We are collecting medical documents pertaining to the ailments he suffered and the postmortem report from the jail and Sassoon hospital for investigations. His body was handed over to his family.”(With Inputs fromUmesh Isalkar)

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

NYOOOZ FRIEND

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Pune Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles