2 landing agents convicted in 1993 blasts case

Mumbai, Sep 22: The Designated TADA court at Mumbai today pronounced two landing agents guilty in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case.

Designated TADA Judge P D Kode today found Dawood Phanse alias Dawood Taklya (82) and Sherif Parkar alias Dada Bhai (81) guilty under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act.

Both had headed the landing operations of the deadly RDX, arms and ammunition, which were landed at Shekhadi in Raigad district, the coastal area of Maharashtra.

The arsenal was used in the serial blasts on March 12, 1993 that killed 257 people and wounded over 700.

So far the court has convicted nine accused and discharged three out of the 123 who faced trial.

Both Dawood and Sharif were named by an approver and identified by prosecution witnesses during an identification parade held in court.

Having retracted their confessional statements, both the accused were in jail for 13 years.

Both were charged under TADA. Dawood faced trial on three counts and Sharif on four counts under sections 3(3) and 6 of the Act.

Dawood was charged with having attended a conspiracy meeting at Dubai in January, 1993 in which the prime absconding accused Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and Tiger Memon and others also participated. It was in this meeting, Dawood had agreed to arrange for shipping of the arsenal to India.

Dawood was one of the main agents who headed the landing operation engineered by Tiger Memon and others.

Sharif was also charged with organising a training camp at Sandheri and Borghat in Raigad district conducted by Tiger Memon for receiving training in handling of arms and ammunition. He had also held meetings with customs officers who had helped him in the landing of arms.

UNI

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