1993 Mum blasts: Roles of convicts whose life term upheld

NEW DELHI: Police and custom officials were among the convicts whose life imprisonment by the TADA court for their varying roles in the 1993 Mumbai blasts was today upheld by the Supreme Court.

Other convicts whose life sentence was upheld along with Vijay Krisnaji Patil, a dismissed police sub-inspector and S N Thapa, a former additional customs commissioner, whose wife stepped in after his death during the pendency of the appeal, were those who were involved in smuggling and landing of explosives into India, making vehicle bombs and surveying blast sites.

Among those was death convict Yakub Memon's brother Essa Memon who was found guilty of conspiracy and allowing use of his flat at Al-Husseni building in Mahim for meetings to plan the blasts and storing arms and ammunition.

Yakub's sister-in-law Rubina Memon arranged finances through her bank account and allowed her car to be used by terrorist for carrying co-conspirators, arms, ammunition and explosives.

The court noted it was this abandoned car which gave clues to the probe agency. She also allowed her flat and garage in the same building to be used by co-convicts for planning and preparation of terror strikes and storing ammunition.

Yakub's brother Yusuf was also held guilty of similar offences.

Sardar Shahwali Khan, a civil contractor, was held guilty of helping Memon in executing the blasts. He had also participated in weapons training programme at Sandheri and Bhorghat villages in the Raigad district and also attended meetings connected to the blasts conspiracy at the residence of co-accused, Nasir Ahmed and Mubina Baya Bhiwandiwala.

Mushtaq Musa Tarani had planted RDX-filled suitcase in Juhu Centaur Hotel and an RDX-laden scooter at Sheikh Memon street. He had also attended the meeting with absconding accused Tiger Memon at hotel Taj and also surveyed possible sites to be targetted.