Tiger Memon's two aides convicted in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts

Mumbai, Sep 25 (UNI) A TADA court today convicted Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh and Naseem Barmare - aides of prime absconding accused Tiger Memon, for their involvement in the 1993 serial bomb blasts and lobbing of hand grenades at Sahar International airport here.

However, no body was hurt nor there was any damage to property as neither the scooter-bomb nor the hand grenades had exploded. The RDX-laden scooter was parked by Sheikh alone at Naigaum, Dadar, in Central Mumbai, while hand grenades were lobbed from over an Andheri flyover by Barmare who was pillion-riding the scooter driven by Sheikh.

Both the incidents occured on March 12 , 1993 when 13 blasts across the city killed 257 people and wounded over 700.

Both the accused were convicted under the now-lapsed Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by the TADA court of Mr Pramod Kode.

The judge found them guilty of participating in the blasts conspiracy, stuffing of RDX in vehicles in the Al Hussaini building of Tiger Memon, and accepted their confessional statements notwithstanding that these were retracted them later during trial.

Both the accused were found guilty of having attended the meetings held in the residences of woman accused Mubina Baya and others, where conspiracy was hatched.

Mr Kode said he accepted their confessions because of the corroborative evidence produced by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the prosecuting agency.

While the court found Barmare guilty of all charges slapped against him, Sheikh was, however, acquitted of the charge of lobbing hand grenades at the parking bay of the airport.

The scooter used in the crime was registered in the name of Ayub Memon, who like his brother Tiger Memon, is also absconding.

Both the accused were found guilty of having received training in the handling of arms, ammunition and explosives. But Barmare has been found guilty of having received it at a training camp held in Pakistan, Sheikh received it at Borghat and Sandheri villages in the adjoining Raigad district.

Listed as accused nos 23 and 39 in the chargesheet, both Shaikh and Barmare were identified by the prosecution's witnesses and named by an approver.

Both city residents, Sheikh hails from Mazagaon, while Barmare comes from Bandra. Both are in jail for the last 13 years.

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