A court here on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment two persons who had played an active role on the very day of the Mumbai serial blasts on March 12, 1993.
MUMBAI: A court here on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment two persons who had played an active role on the very day of the Mumbai serial blasts on March 12, 1993.
Imtiaz Ghawate (40) was given two concurrent life sentences as he had planted an RDX-filled scooter in Dhanji street in South-Central Mumbai which did not explode on March 12, 1993, as the detonator's pin got stuck in RDX.
Another convict, who was given life sentence today, is Nasim Barmare, held guilty for throwing hand-grenades at bay 51 at erstwhile Sahar International Airport (Now Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport) where aircraft were parked.
On various counts, Ghawate will have to pay a total fine of Rs 2,39,500. Earlier, the fine amount was worked out to Rs 2.77 lakh but it was amended later as for conviction for attempt to commit an offence, the amount gets lessened.
TADA Judge Pramod Kode said that the attempt failed because of 'grace of God' and not because Ghawate lacked the intent to commit it. He was held guilty for attempt to murder along with offences under TADA.
Ghawate had been also convicted for being part to the conspiracy masterminded by Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon. He was held guilty for participating in arms and ammunition landing at Shekhadi coast in Raigad, and in transporting the contraband from Wangni to Mumbai in a jeep.
Though Ghawate was one of the bomb-planters, CBI did not ask death penalty for him, as he has been diagnosed as HIV positive.
He would be kept in Aurthur Road jail here until July 23, as court has asked prison authorities to file a say as to where he should be lodged.
Ghawate's lawyer Farhana Shah has urged the court to keep him in Mumbai Central prison as he is receiving treatment for HIV at JJ Hospital here.
With Tuesday's sentencing, 78 of the total 100 convicts have been sentenced for their role in serial blasts that killed 257 people and injured 713.
Ghawate, who had been out on bail after spending around thirteen years in custody, was in tears after the sentence was pronounced.
Barmare rode pillion with another convict Mohammad Iqbal, who is yet to be sentenced.
He was also held guilty for being party to the blasts conspiracy and taking part in the preparation of vehicle bombs at prime absconding accused Tiger Memon's residence.
Thirty-four year-old Barmare will have to pay a total fine of Rs 2.30 lakhs.
The court was also scheduled to sentence Somnath Thapa, the customs officer who facilitated the landing of RDX on Raigad coast, on Tuesday. But defence lawyer Farhana Shah told the court that he could not come because of viral fever.
Thapa, a cancer patient, is out on bail. Judge Kode said that he will have to be present in the court on Wednesday.
Actor Sanjay Dutt has been summoned to the court on July 21 but it is not yet clear whether he would be sentenced on that day.
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