Policeman gets life term in 1993 Mumbai blasts
(DPA)
22 May 2007
NEW DELHI - A special court trying the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings case Tuesday sentenced a police officer to life imprisonment for his role in the blasts which left 257 dead and more than 700 injured, news reports said.
Judge Pramod Kode of the anti-terrorism court handed out the sentence to sub-inspector VK Patil for conspiracy and abetment in terrorist acts, under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the IANS news agency reported.
This was the first life term sentence awarded to an accused in the 1993 blasts case, considered the deadliest terrorist attack in India.
Patil was in charge of the police party that had intercepted in January 1993, a truck carrying a consignment of arms and ammunition meant for carrying out the blasts. Patil allowed it to pass for a bribe of 700,000 rupees or 17,382 dollars.
âInstead of discharging his duty, he let it (truck) pass onward to Mumbai for personal gains. The explosives were then used in the drastic terror attack that killed hundreds of innocent people,â Kode said in his order.
âHis crime is greater than that of his subordinates who were sentenced Monday. The charges against Patil were more serious than those against the four constables as he was the head of the party,â the IANS quoted the judge as saying.
The court had Monday sentenced four constables to six yearsâ jail and a fine of 25,000 rupees each.
Other than Patil, five other men were given six years jail and a fine 15,000 rupees. They were convicted for arms training in Pakistan and being part of the conspiracy.
âTo train in Pakistan for terrorist acts in India is an offence,â Kode was quoted by the PTI news agency as saying.
On May 18, the anti-terrorism court began sentencing 100 people who were found guilty in the case.
The 14-year long trial, considered one of the worldâs longest, has seen testimony by 686 witnesses and more than 13,000 pages of evidence. Sentencing of all the accused is due to be completed by the end of this month.
The bombings were allegedly masterminded by Dawood Ibrahim, a top underworld mob boss, and his henchmen Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa. All three of the main defendants have eluded capture and face charges ranging from waging war against the country to conspiracy to commit terrorist acts.
According to Indiaâs Central Bureau of Investigation, the 1993 bombings were aimed at avenging the demolition of the disputed Babri mosque by Hindu fanatics in 1991 and the killings of Muslims in the sectarian riots in Mumbai that followed.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Display...ontinent_May881.xml§ion=subcontinent&col=
(DPA)
22 May 2007
NEW DELHI - A special court trying the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings case Tuesday sentenced a police officer to life imprisonment for his role in the blasts which left 257 dead and more than 700 injured, news reports said.
Judge Pramod Kode of the anti-terrorism court handed out the sentence to sub-inspector VK Patil for conspiracy and abetment in terrorist acts, under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the IANS news agency reported.
This was the first life term sentence awarded to an accused in the 1993 blasts case, considered the deadliest terrorist attack in India.
Patil was in charge of the police party that had intercepted in January 1993, a truck carrying a consignment of arms and ammunition meant for carrying out the blasts. Patil allowed it to pass for a bribe of 700,000 rupees or 17,382 dollars.
âInstead of discharging his duty, he let it (truck) pass onward to Mumbai for personal gains. The explosives were then used in the drastic terror attack that killed hundreds of innocent people,â Kode said in his order.
âHis crime is greater than that of his subordinates who were sentenced Monday. The charges against Patil were more serious than those against the four constables as he was the head of the party,â the IANS quoted the judge as saying.
The court had Monday sentenced four constables to six yearsâ jail and a fine of 25,000 rupees each.
Other than Patil, five other men were given six years jail and a fine 15,000 rupees. They were convicted for arms training in Pakistan and being part of the conspiracy.
âTo train in Pakistan for terrorist acts in India is an offence,â Kode was quoted by the PTI news agency as saying.
On May 18, the anti-terrorism court began sentencing 100 people who were found guilty in the case.
The 14-year long trial, considered one of the worldâs longest, has seen testimony by 686 witnesses and more than 13,000 pages of evidence. Sentencing of all the accused is due to be completed by the end of this month.
The bombings were allegedly masterminded by Dawood Ibrahim, a top underworld mob boss, and his henchmen Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa. All three of the main defendants have eluded capture and face charges ranging from waging war against the country to conspiracy to commit terrorist acts.
According to Indiaâs Central Bureau of Investigation, the 1993 bombings were aimed at avenging the demolition of the disputed Babri mosque by Hindu fanatics in 1991 and the killings of Muslims in the sectarian riots in Mumbai that followed.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Display...ontinent_May881.xml§ion=subcontinent&col=