Convict accepts guilt but pleads leniency

Mumbai, Oct 3 (UNI) Mushtaq Tarani, a 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts convict, today accepted his guilt but pleaded for leniency, saying he was used by a rich friend who went scot-free.

Found guilty by the court of judge Pramod Kode on September 27 of all 12 charges slapped against him , school dropout Tarani, who has spent over 13 years in jail, assured the court he would never indulge in any criminal activity in future.

Stating he was a poor hawker of electronic goods and suffered a loss of the goods worth Rs 60,000 in communal riots in the city before the blasts, 42-year-old Tarani said he is father of two daughters, one of whom he had not seen as she was born after he was taken into custody after the March 12, 1993 blasts.

Tarani said after his stall at Pydene near Katha Bazar was looted during the 1992-93 riots, he was also bashed up by State Reserve Police while crossing road at Bhiwandi Bazar. He said when he learnt that children of a Madrassa near Suleman Bakery on Mohammed Ali road had been killed in police firing, he felt agitated. Later, he said he witnessed immense sufferings of his community during a visit to a relief camp of the riot victims.

He informed the court it was in this state of mind he was incited by his rich friend Farooq who, he said, took him to Tiger Memon, the prime absconding accused in the case.

Admitting he had attended a meeting convened by Tiger Memon at Taj Mahal hotel before the blasts, Tarani, however, said he was made to sit in a corner and was not an active participant in the conspiracy.

It was in this meeting the targets were selected for India's worst terror attack that killed 257 people and wounded over 700.

Convicted under sections 3 (3) and 3(2)(i) of TADA (P) Act, sections 3 and 4(a)(b) of Explosive Substances Act, and sections 120-B, 307,324, 435 and 436 of the IPC, Tarani was found guilty of planting an RDX-laden bag in room number 3078 of Centeur Hotel at Juhu. Three people were wounded and property worth over Rs 2.10 crore was damaged in the blast. He was also found guilty of planting an RDX-laden scooter at Shaikh Memon Street in south Mumbai which, however, did not explode.

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