TADA court convicts five policemen, lets off three

Mumbai, Sep 26 (UNI) Five personnel of Maharashtra police were today found guilty by a TADA court of the charge of aiding and abetting India's worst terror attack that killed 257 people in serial bomb blasts in the country's commercial and entertainment capital on March 12, 1993.

In the first judgement convicting policemen, Mr Pramod Kode found sub-inspector Vijay Patil, constables Ashok Muneshwar, P M Mahadik, Ramesh Mali and Srikrishna Pashilkar quilty of allowing safe passage of arms, ammunition and RDX from Raigad to Mumbai. The arsenal was used in triggering multiple explosions in the city.

The arsenal, including RDX, had been ferried by speedboat to Shekhadi coast in Raigad.

Convicted under section 3(3) of the now-lapsed Terrorist and disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, all five policemen, who had been suspended from service and were out on bail after having spent at least seven years in jail, were taken back into custody on the order of the court which cancelled their bail bond.

Patil was also convicted for being a party to conspiracy, under 120 (b) of Indian Penal Code.

All accused were also found guilty of accepting Rs 7 lakh from co-accused Uttam Potdar and customs inspector Gurav for allowing safe passage to trucks loaded with arms to pass through Ghondgar Phata on January 9, 1993.

Mr Kode, however, acquitted constables Krishna Mukal, Krishna Pingle and Manohar More, for want of sufficient evidence against them.

Though the court accepted that there were seven constables who allowed safe passage to the arms-laden trucks, identity of three could not be established, leading to the acquittals.

All the accused were posted at Srivardhan police station.

Patil broke down in the court after the judge pronounced him guilty.

Interestingly, none of the policemen had recorded their confessional statements but the court passed conviction order on the basis of evidence produced against them by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the prosecuting agency, and on the statements of co-accused.

The court has so far convicted 18 people, including five cops, and acquitted six others - three policemen and three members of the family of prime absconding accused Tiger Memon.

Altogether 123 accused faced trial.

UNI XR SA VD HT1652