8 more convicts get 5-10 yrs RI: 1993 Mumbai blast

Mumbai, May 25: The designated TADA court, hearing the 1993 Mumbai serial blast case, today awarded rigorous imprisonment ranging from five years to 10 years to eight convicts.

With this, the court has pronounced sentences upon 36 convicts so far out of the 100 held guilty.

All the eight convicts, to whom the sentences were awarded today, were associates of absonding prime accused Tiger Memon and had helped him in landing deadly arms and ammunition in the coastal area of Raigad. The eight also helped Memon in organising a training camp for imparting training in the use of sophisticated arms.

TADA court judge P D Kode awarded 10 years RI and a fine of Rs 25,000 to Shahid Qureshi under section 3(3) of TADA for his involvement in the landing operations at Shekhadi in Raigad.

While sentencing him, the court held that Qureshi had accompanied Tiger Memon in a ship upto Dubai with an intention to visit Pakistan for receiving training there in a camp.

Qureshi, a close confidante of Tiger Memon, had gone to Shekadi to actively participate in the landing operations. He had already spent eleven years in jail. Incidentally, Qureshi is also facing a criminal case in Lucknow for his involvement in a fake passport case.

Earlier, Qureshi had been granted bail by then TADA judge J N Patel, but he jumped parole and was later arrested by the CBI from Delhi.

The court sentenced Shahjahan Hajwani and Sikander Hajwani to five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 each. Both are residents of Raigad and were held guilty under Section 3 (3) of TADA for receiving training in handling arms and ammunition.

An aged convict Isaq Hajwani was sentenced to seven years RI and a fine of Rs 65,000. He had been held quilty under sections 3(3) and 6 of TADA and sections 3 and 7 r/w 25 (1a) (1b) of the Arms Act and 201 of the Indian Penal Code. He was convicted on different counts for his involvement in receiving arms training and also for possessing 13 hand grenades which were later dumped into the sea.

Two other convicts Faki Ali Faki and Abdullah Surti were awarded five years RI under Section 3 (3) of TADA and a fine of Rs 25,000 each. The court also awarded them six years RI and a fine of Rs 25000 under Section 6 of TADA. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Both of them were involved in concealing 12 AK-56 rifles, 36 magazines, 19,500 rounds of AK-56 rifles, and 9000 rounds of another AK-56 rifle in the mangroves. Abdullah Surti had also helped in transporting arms and ammunition.

Janardhan Gambas, a labourer who had helped in the landing operations and concealment of the deadly arms and explosives, was awarded six years RI and a fine of 75, 000. He was awarded three years RI and a fine of Rs 25,000 under Section 111 of the Indian Customs Act and six years RI and fine of Rs 50,000 under Section 3(3) of TADA for concealing arms. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Sayed Maju Kadri, another resident of Raigad, who was held guilty of possessing hand grenades illegally, was awarded five years RI and a fine of Rs 10000.

UNI

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