Sanjay Dutt's friend Samir Hingora gets 9 yrs RI

Mumbai, June 1: Samir Hingora, a film producer and an associate of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, was sentenced to nine- years rigorous imprisonment by the designated TADA court here for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

Four other blast convicts were awarded sentences ranging from eight-years rigorous imprisonment to life.

Hingora was held guilty of supplying three AK-56 rifles and few hand grenades to Sanjay Dutt at the behest of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees. He had also supplied arms to other blast accused. He was convicted under Section 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3(3) of TADA.

Hingora, who had produced Hindi film ''Sanam'', had supplied seven air tickets to members of the Memon family, the main conspirators in the Mumbai blasts, and enabled them to escape.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs two lakh upon Hingora.

While awarding the sentence upon Hingora, the court said he was being given a milder punishment since he is a heart patient. The court observed that although Hingora was a party to the conspiracy, he had, however, not attended the conspiratorial meeting in Dubai.

The court, however, observed that Hingora's direct involvement in the Mumbai blasts was not established. The court handed down life sentence to Niyaz Ahmed, who had attended the conspiratorial meeting in Dubai and had also received arms training in Pakistan. Niyaz Ahmed had surveyed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) building for the purpose of planting explosives there. The court held that he was involved throughout in the conspiracy although he had not participated in any direct terrorist activity. But his involvement was in a preparatory capacity to the final terrorist act. He was, therefore, being awarded the life sentence, the court said.

When defence counsel Farhana Shah pleaded for a lenient punishment for her client considering that he had already spent 14 years in jail and also suffered from neurological disorder, the court said the life sentence is a mild punishment for Ahmed, otherwise he deserved the death penalty.

Gulam Hafiz Sheikh was sentenced to eight-years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 was slapped on him. He was held guilty of transporting arms, ammunition and explosives from Shekhadi in Raigad district to Mumbai. The court observed that Sheikh was aware of the contents of the consignment he was transporting and, yet, he had offered his service for which he was paid a meagre amount of Rs 1,000.

The court sentenced Sheikh Mohammed Ehtesham to ten-years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000. Ehtesham, a close associate of blast convict Ejaz Pathan, was provided with weapons by Tiger Memon and Anwar Theba at the time of landing operations.

He had attended the conspiratorial meeting in Dubai but could not go to Pakistan for arms training owing to a lack of travel arrangements.

Farooq Motorwalla was sentenced to 13-years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 was slapped on him. He had attended the Dubai meeting on a fake passport. He was also responsible for sending another blast convict, Jameel Khatab, to Dubai and from there to Pakistan.

Motorwalla has already spent 14-years in jail and is eligible for release upon paying the fine.

Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and four others out on bail, appeared before the court today as directed and have been asked to remain present again on June 8.

Dutt and the four others had moved an application for relief under the Probation of Offenders Act. Court sources informed that the probation officer has submitted his report on one of the convicts but it could not be known to which convict the report pertained to.

UNI

Related Stories

>