Sub-inspector VK Patil was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined of Rs two lakh for allowing a truck laden with arms to pass enter the city.
MUMBAI: The TADA court on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment former police sub-inspector VK Patil and ordered him to pay a fine of Rs two lakh for allowing a truck laden with arms to pass onward to the city prior to 1993 serial blasts, despite having intercepted it.
Special TADA judge PD Kode observed that Patil did not deserve any leniency as he had misused and abused his official position as a police sub-inspector posted at the Srivardhan police station at Raigad.
The court sentenced Patil to life imprisonment on the two charges of criminal conspiracy and aiding and abetting a terrorist act for which he was found guilty.
It also directed Patil to deposit a fine of Rs one lakh each for the two counts on which he was found guilty.
The court said that both life sentences are to run concurrently and Patil would have to serve rigorous imprisonment for three years each if he defaulted on payment of the two fine amounts.
Four other constables, who were part of the raiding party, were on Monday sentenced to six years' rigorous imprisonment.
Judge Kode said the fact that even after intercepting the truck in a surprise raid and letting it off after settling the bribe amount of Rs seven lakh with the other conspirators, showed 'high courage on part of the public servant for special personal gains.'
The police officials had intercepted the truck carrying arms on January 9, 1993 but had allowed it to pass after accepting a bribe.
The court observed that the charges against Patil were more serious than those against the four constables as he was the head of the party which intercepted the truck carrying arms.
The court also rejected the defence argument that Patil was immature and a junior officer at the time of the incident and observed that he was occupying the position of the head of the Srivardhan police station.
Speaking following court proceedings special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said that it was for the first time in judicial history that a police officer has been sentenced for concurrent life imprisonments on two counts.
Patil is also the first among the 100 persons convicted for their involvement serial bombings on March 12, 1993, which killed 257 people and injured over 700, to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
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