A Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court in Mumbai on Wednesday held three accused, among them a father-son duo, guilty of helping prime conspirator Tiger Memon in carrying out the serial bomb blasts in the metropolis in 1993.
Issaq Hajwani, his son Sikander and Shahnawaz were held guilty under various provisions of TADA.
Soon after the verdict, they were taken into custody and their bail bonds cancelled.
Seventy-year-old Issaq told the court: "I have not committed any offence. I am an aged person."
Judge P D Kode told him to say whatever he wants to say on Thursday.
Sikander, after hearing the verdict, told the judge, "You may send me to jail or to the gallows. Police have falsely implicated me in the case. They are to be blamed, not me."
All the three accused were found guilty of obtaining weapons training at Sandheri villge in coastal Raigad district and convicted under Section 3 (3) of TADA for aiding and abetting terrorist acts.
Issaq was also found guilty of possessing 13 hand grenades and disposing them at a sea coast near Gandhawadi village in Raigad, where the explosives used in the blasts had landed.
The judge accepted the confession of other accused implicating Issaq and also the evidence of two eye witnesses who had identified Issaq.
He was found guilty under Section 3 (3) and Section 6 of TADA as well as Sections 120 (b) IPC (conspiracy) and 201 IPC (screening evidence).
© 2024 Rediff.com -