From rxpgnews.com
Two more found guilty in 1993 Mumbai blasts case
By RxPG News Service,
Nov 25, 2006 - 12:34:20 AM
Mumbai, Nov 24 - A special court here Friday found two close associates of absconding prime accused Tiger Memon guilty of complicity in the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai.
The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities - Act - court found Sardar Shahwali Khan guilty of helping Memon in carrying out the bombings on March 12, 1993, that killed 257 people.
The court also convicted Altaf Ali Sayed for possessing hand grenades, which were part of the consignment, smuggled in by mastermind Memon to engineer the blasts.
Sayed, who is a travel agent, was however acquitted of charges of arranging air passage of 13 co-accused to Pakistan via Dubai for arms and explosive training, for lack of evidence.
Delivering the judgement, judge Pramod Kode said Shahwali, who is a civil contractor, had participated in the weapons training programme at Sandheri and Bhorghat villages in coastal Raigad district of Maharashtra, besides attending conspiracy meetings at the residence of co-accused Nasir Ahmed Sheikh and Mubina Baya Bhiwandiwala, a former girlfriend of Memon.
Accepting the evidence implicating Shahwali, Kode said: 'It had been established that at the instance of Tiger Memon, Shahwali had surveyed Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai building as a potential target of terror attack in keeping with the plans chalked out during the conspiracy meetings held at co-accused residences.'
The court found Altaf Ali Sayed guilty of keeping in his possession two brief cases containing hand grenades smuggled in by Memon.
Kode said Sayed was also absolved of charge of conspiracy as the prosecution had failed to prove that he was instructed by Memon's brother and now convicted Yakub Memon to arrange for air tickets of 13 co-accused for their journey to Pakistan for arms and explosive training.
Both face a term of minimum five years and a maximum of life imprisonment. The quantum of sentence would be delivered at a later date. The court will hear the duo's statement Monday.
The March 12, 1993 serial blasts also destroyed properties worth Rs.300 million.
After a long-drawn trial, which started in January 1994, the TADA court has been pronouncing verdicts since Sep 12. It has so far found 83 of the 123 accused on trial guilty.
Twenty-two of the accused have been either acquitted or given the benefit of doubt. They include Tiger Memon's mother Hanifa Memon and sister-in-law Rahin Memon.
The court is likely to pronounce its verdict on the alleged involvement of some customs officials and actor Sanjay Dutt next week.
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