Judge PD Kode convicted Manzoor Sayyed Ahmed on the charges of carting away two AK 56 rifles, ammunition and hand-grenades from Sanjay Dutt’s residence.
Judge PD Kode convicted Manzoor Sayyed Ahmed, an aide of gangster Abu Salem, on Monday. He was convicted on the charges of carting away two AK 56 rifles, ammunition and hand-grenades from Sanjay Dutt’s Pali Hill residence and delivering them to the house of another co-accused in the 1993 serial blasts case.
Judge Kode came to the conclusion that the arms were initially kept at actor Sanjay Dutt’s Bandra residence. However, Dutt’s friend, Ajay Marwah, was acquitted on all charges including being in possession of a 9mm pistol, which allegedly belonged to Dutt. Two custom officers, RK Singh and Mohammed Sayyed, were convicted by the court for failing to stop the smuggling of arms and explosives in lieu of a bribe of Rs7.80 lakh per consignment.
According to the CBI, Salem and three others had delivered three AK 56 rifles, ammunition and hand grenades to Dutt at his Pali Hill residence on January 16, 1993. Two days later Dutt returned two rifles, some ammunition and the hand-grenades.
Manzoor, 47, owner of a travel agency in Andheri, had accompanied Salem and Samir Hingora to Dutt’s house to collect the arms. The trio had travelled in Manzoor’s blue Maruti Van, which was later seized.
Accepting Manzoor’s confession, Judge Kode held that a major role was played by Salem and Manzoor had simply accompanied him. Manzoor was therefore acquitted on charges of being part of the criminal conspiracy.
Marwah, 42, who met Dutt for the first time in jail and is now a close friend of the actor, was given benefit of doubt and acquitted on all charges. Marwah was charged for being in possession of a 9mm pistol belonging to Dutt.
Marwah, who owns cinema halls in Kurla and Thane, had maintained that the pistol was not handed to him personally but delivered in a box by Mulla at his residence with the instruction that Adejenia would collect it. In the absence of any direct evidence to prove possession or the pistol, Judge Kode acquitted him. “My conscience was clear. The rest I left to God,” said an ecstatic Marwah minutes after his acquittal.
Former custom officers Singh and Sayyed were posted at Alibaug division and were held guilty of abetting Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa in smuggling and transportation of arms during the landings at Shekhadi and Dighi. While Sayyed was taken into custody, Singh has been given a week to surrender.
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