1993 Serial Blast Convict Dr Jalees Ansari Goes Missing

A convict in the 1993 Mumbai (train) and 1993 Rajasthan serial bomb blasts, Jalees Ansari, disappeared on January 16 from his Mumbai residence.

Ansari was on 21-day parole from the Ajmer Central Prison, Rajasthan, and was expected to surrender before prison authorities today, January 17.

Ansari was serving a jail sentence since 1994 after he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his role in 1993 serial blast.

Ansari was accused of plotting and executing several bomb blasts across the country in the early nineties in retaliation to infamous Babri Masjid demolition.

Ansari allegedly assisted in setting off a series of 43 explosions in Mumbai and Hyderabad and seven separate explosions on trains on December 6, 1993 - a year after the Babri Masjid's demolition.

The 69-year-old, a resident of Mominpura in south Mumbai's Agripada is serving a life term in Ajmer jail.

Ansari, a doctor by profession, for his criminal mind is known as "Dr Bomb." During his parole order, he was ordered to visit the Agripada police station every day between 10.30 am and noon to mark his attendance. Ansari's son Zaid filed a missing complaint at the station on Thursday, a day after Ansari marked his presence.

The Times Of India reported that the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, the crime branch and Mumbai Police have launched a search operation for Ansari.

Senior inspector Savlaram Agawane of Agripada police station said, "We have deputed teams to locate him. Now we are waiting for news from Ajmer tomorrow, as there are chances that he might have even left for Ajmer to surrender in jail."

Ansari had filed an application in the Supreme Court and was granted parole in December for 21 days. Following the court orders, he was moved to Mumbai. He was lodged in Arthur Road jail.

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