The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court on Tuesday held Vijay Krishnaji Patil, the then sub inspector at Shrivardhan police station in Raigad district, guilty of being party to the conspiracy in 1993 bomb blasts case.
MUMBAI: Five suspended policemen, including Sub-Inspector Vijay Patil, were on Tuesday found guilty by a TADA court of aiding and abetting terrorist acts in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts while three other suspended constables were acquitted.
Those convicted had facilitated transportation of arms and explosives used in the March 12, 1993 blasts from Raigad to Mumbai in consideration of a bribe of Rs seven lakh.
Designated judge P D Kode acquitted the three policemen of the same charges as the prosecution failed to prove its case against them.
This is the first ever conviction of law-enforcers arrested in the case. Others in the dock include Customs officials.
Vijay Patil, then posted at Shrivardhan police station, was convicted for conspiracy under Section 120-b of the IPC (conspiracy) and under Section 3 (3) of TADA (Prevention) Act for aiding and abetting terrorist act by allowing passage of arms from Raigad.
Others held guilty under TADA Act are constables Ashok Muneshwar, P M Mahadik, Ramesh Mali and S Y Pashilkar.
Giving the verdict, designated judge P D Kode observed that Patil was held guilty for conspiracy as he had cleared the arms-laden truck at Ghondgar checkpost in Raigad.
Other convicted policemen were not found guilty of conspiracy as they had merely followed Patil's directives, and hence were convicted only for aiding and abetting terrorist acts.
All of them face punishment ranging from five years to life.
The court acquitted three constables -- Krishna Mokal, Krishna Pingle and Manohar More -- as their identity in the police team (which allowed transportation of arms) could not be established.
The court accepted the evidence adduced by CBI that the five policemen had accepted bribe of Rs seven lakh to allow transportation of explosives.
The court also accepted the evidence produced by CBI to show that Rs 59,000 cash was recovered from constable Mahadik and that this amount was part of the bribe offered to policemen by co-accused.
The judge also took into consideration a confession of an accused which implicated constable R D Mali though CBI was not able to prove that he was present in the batch of eight, who had allowed smooth passage of arms and explosives.
The court, however, did not accept the defence of Patil that the truck was carrying silver bricks and weapons, if any, were not visible.
It is the case of CBI that Patil had negotiated the deal of transportation by seeking bribe of Rs seven lakh and kept a silver brick in his possession for a day as the accused did not have money to pay at that point of time. The next day he returned the silver brick after the bribe was paid.
Acquitting three constables, the court explained that it was a clear case of acquittal and not benefit of doubt, as their roles could not be established.
As the judge was delivering the verdict, sub-inspector Patil appeared to be tense and kept his head down. After the verdict, Patil was asked to go to the dock.
The verdict assumes significance as CBI has contended in the chargesheet that arms and explosives were smuggled from Pakistan and ferried to Shekhadi coast on January 9, 1993, prior to the serial bomb blasts.
Patil and four others were taken into custody on Tuesday after they were pronounced guilty and their bail bonds were cancelled.
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