Associate convicted, verdict on Sanjay tomorrow

Mumbai, Nov 27 (UNI) The special TADA Court today convicted Sayyed Mansoor, an associate of bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, in the 1993 serial blasts case and is likely to pronounce its verdict on the alleged role of the actor in the ghastly terror attacks tomorrow.

Special Judge P D Kode asked the filmstar to be present in the court tomorrow, while convicting aide Mansoor for destroying evidence by getting rid of the AK-56 rifle and cartridges from Sanjay's residence, on the directions of extradited gangster Abu Salem.

The court also pronounced two high-ranking custom officials guilty for conniving with the perpetrators of the blasts by allowing their consignment containing arms and explosives at Shekadi, a costal area of Konkan region in Maharashtra.

The Court, however, acquitted another blast accused and a friend of the bollywood actor Ajay Marwah for lack of sufficient evidence.

The prosecution had accused him of unauthorisedly possessing a 9 mm pistol in a notified area. Soon after the Mumbai riots of March 93', following the demolition of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya, the megapolis was declared a notified area.

The Judge convicted Mansoor under sections 3(3) of TADA, for possession of an AK-56 rifle and also for transporting the same, to the residence of a female co-accused Zaibunissa Kazi.

Mr O P Chatwal, a high-ranking CBI official who had headed the investigation into the Mumbai blasts, told mediapersons that after Mansoor's conviction, it is now established beyond any doubt that Dutt was indeed in possession of a deadly weapon in a notified area like Mumbai.

He also noted that the court had accepted the confessional statements of Mansoor as a vital piece of evidence. In the confessional statement, the accused has clearly indicated the involvement of the actor in the crime.

However, Judge Kode, in his order, observed that Mansoor had not played a major role in the entire conspiracy of the blasts.

Mansoor is currently lodged at Arthur road jail.

Assistant customs collector R K Singh, who was found guilty of allowing the safe landing of the arms and other explosives smuggled into the country by Underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim's right hand man Mohammad Dosa for committing acts of terrorism.

He was also accused of attending a meeting with prime absconding accused Tiger Memon and Dosa. In the meeting, he and other customs officials had accepted a bribe of Rs 7 lakh to ensure a safe landing of their consignment at Didhi in Raigad district.

Though he had not made any confessional statements, the Court convicted him under sections 3(3) of TADA based on the confessional statements of the other accused and other relevant material produced by the prosecution in Court.

Besides, another dismissed customs superintendent Sultan Syed, who was also facing similar charges was pronounced guilty under sections 3(3) of TADA.

It seems Sayyed knew his fate in advance. He had come to the Court with extra pair of clothes and other items of daily need.

So far the court has decided the fate of 109 blast accused, in which 86 were pronounced guilty and 23 acquitted.

The court is yet to decide the fate of 14 accused, which include Sanjay Dutt, dismissed customs collector S M Thapa and few others.

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