Convict had urged TADA court to drop "Kutta" tag

A convict in the 1993 serial bomb blasts, Mohammed Salim Mira Shaikh is also known as "Salim Kutta".

Mumbai: A convict in the 1993 serial bomb blasts, Mohammed Salim Mira Shaikh, also known as "Salim Kutta", had urged the designated TADA court to drop the epithet as he found it derogatory.

Mohammed Salim Mira Shaikh, whose life sentence was on Thursday confirmed by the Supreme Court for his complicity in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case, had urged the designated TADA Court during the trial to drop the offensive epithet "Kutta", which means dog in Hindi, from the court records. The convict was known as "Salim Kutta" in underworld circles because of his ruthless approach towards rivals as he used to pounce upon them like a `ferocious dog`. "Do I look like a Dog?" he politely asked the court once. However, hearing his plea, designated TADA Judge PD Kode had passed an order dropping the word "Kutta" from the records after observing that every person had the right to live with dignity under the Constitution. Salim was leading a module working for the prime absconding accused in this case- Mohammed Dossa. He had participated in the landing of arms and ammunition in Gujarat. Salim and his men had collected the weapons and RDX and distributed them to co-accused. These explosives were used in the 1993 blasts. There were two other landings of arms and ammunition at Dighy and Shekhadi coasts in Raigad district of Maharashtra which were organised by another absconding accused Tiger Memon. Salim was convicted by the trial court for participating in the conspiracy leading to 1993 serial blasts and distribution of arms and ammunition used in explosions. PTI