Two more Tiger Memon aides held guilty

MUMBAI: A TADA court on Thursday held two associates of prime accused Tiger Memon guilty of conspiracy and other charges in 1993 serial bomb blasts case but acquitted another for want of evidence.

Nasir Abdul Kadar Keval alias Nasir Dhakla and Mohammed Rafiq Usman Shaikh were found guilty of obtaining arms training in Pakistan and attending conspiracy meetings. The duo face punishment ranging from five years to life.

Nasir was also found guilty of participating in landing of arms and explosives at coastal raigad district but was acquitted of the charge of filling rdx in vehicles that were planted at various places in the metropolis on march 12, 1993.

The court held that it was not proved that he had filled RDX in vehicles although it had been established that he had stuffed scrap and iron in the vehicles.

The court accepted their confessions as well as those of the co-accused. Judge PD Kode also considered the evidence of an eye witness, who had identified Nasir in arms landing operations and statement of approver, Mohammed Usman Jan Khan. The judge also held that Nasir had participated in the blast conspiracy “up to a particular point”.

However, Mohammed Ahmed Mansoor was acquitted of the charges of conspiracy and making arrangements for co-accused to obtain arms training in Pakistan. The prosecution failed to prove that he received co-accused at Dubai airport and sent them to Pakistan for arms training.

With the conviction of Nasir Dhakla and Mohammed Shaikh, the number of persons found guilty by the court has gone up to 28 while 13 others have been acquitted.

More pti svs mb bkm 10051641 del urg gen nat. Mumbai bom25 ld verdict 2 last the judge said he was acquitting mohammed ahmed mansoor because his identity as an accused could not be established in the evidence that came before the court.

It was the case of cbi that mansoor had received co-accused salim bismillah khan, mohammed hanif shaikh, usman khan, shaikh ibrahim hussain shaikh and mohammed sayeed mohammed issac at dubai airport on january 22, 1993. He had also arranged for their trip to pakistan for arms training.

In their confession, the co-accused had said they were received by a person named ahmed. In his defence, mansoor had argued that ahmed is common name among muslims and hence he was not implicated. The court held that his involvement was not proved and acquitted him.

Besides the confessions of co-accused there was no independent evidence to show mansoor’s presence at dubai airport at the relevant time.

The acquittal of mansoor is considered as a setback to the prosecution as mansoor was facing the serious charge of financing the trip of co-accused to pakistan at the instance of anees ibrahim, younger brother of prime accused dawood ibrahim.

Special public prosecutor ujjwal nikam said cbi would study the verdict before deciding to file an appeal before the supreme court.

The court would record the statements of convicts, nasir dhakla and mohammed shaikh tomorrow, on the quantum of sentence. Pti svs mb bkm 10051644 del