Mumbai: A TADA court on Friday held two associates of prime accused Tiger Memon guilty of aiding and abetting 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.
Sardar Shahwali Khan was held guilty of helping Tiger Memon in executing the bomb blasts that killed 257 people on March 12, 1993, while Altaf Ali Sayed was convicted of arranging air passage of 13 co-accused to Pakistan for weapons training and possessing hand grenades.
While Sardar is a civil contractor, Altaf is a travel agent. Both face punishment ranging from five years to life imprisonment.
The court accepted the evidence implicating Sardar of taking part in weapon training programme at Sandheri and Bhorghat villages in Raigad district and also attending meetings connected to the blasts conspiracy at the residence of co-accused Nasir Ahmed Shaikh and Mubina Baya Bhiwandiwala.
"It had been established that at the instance of Tiger Memon, Sardar had surveyed municipal corporation of Greater Mumbai building as a potential target of terror attack in keeping with the plans chalked out in conspiracy meetings", TADA Judge P D Kode observed while delivering the verdict.
Sardar was also found guilty of participating in the conspiracy but he was acquitted of the charges of landing and transporting of arms smuggled by Memon to strike terror in the city.
On the charge that he had filled RDX in vehicles in Memon's garages, the court held that while Sardar's presence had been established, it could not be proved that he had taken part in the exercise.
Altaf Ali Sayed, a travel agent, was found guilty under the provisions of TADA for keeping in his possession two suitcases containing hand grenades smuggled by Tiger Memon for the serial blasts.
However, he was acquitted of charges of making arrangements for air tickets of accused who went to Pakistan for arms training in pursuance to the conspiracy.
The court also absolved him of the charges of conspiracy.
The court further held that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges that Altaf was instructed by Tiger's brother Yakub Memon to arrange air tickets of 13 accused for their journey to Pakistan for arms training.
With Friday's convictions, the number of those held guilty has risen to 83. Twenty-two accused have been acquitted while 18 others, including film actor Sanjay Dutt, are awaiting the verdict.
The court is likely to declare the verdict on the alleged involvement of customs officers and Sanjay next week.
The judgement is being delivered 13 years after a chain of bomb blasts shattered the city, killing 257 people and injuring 713, besides damaging property worth Rs 27 crore.
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