A special TADA court on Thursday sentenced seven persons to jail terms ranging from five years rigorous imprisonment to life, for their respective roles in landing of arms and ammunition, transportation, illegal possession of weapons and conspiracy in the 1993 blasts case.
The court sentenced Naseer Dhakla, who obtained weapons training in Pakistan and was involved in the conspiracy throughout, to life imprisonment and directed him to pay a fine of Rs 50,000.
Dhakla was also involved in preparation of vehicle bombs prior to the blasts on March 12, 1993.
Ashrafur Rehman, from whom 85 hand grenades, 350 detonators and over 3,000 cartridges were recovered, was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life and directed to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh.
Yusuf Khan Kasam Khan who was involved in landing of arms and ammunition at Shekhadi and its transportation to Mumbai in February 1993 was given five years RI and asked to deposit a fine of Rs 25,000.
Prime conspirator and absconding accused Tiger Memon's driver Mohammed Rafiq Biyariwala, who was also involved in Shekhadi landing and transportation of the contraband to Mumbai, was given seven years RI and asked to deposit Rs 75,000 as fine.
Shahnawaz Khan, one of the conspirators, who went to Dubai but did not attend weapons training in Pakistan prior to the blasts and was also involved in the Shekhadi landing was sentenced to ten years RI and asked to deposit a fine of Rs 50,000.
Asim Yusuf Shaikh, convicted for illegal possession of four hand grenades was given eight years RI and asked to deposit a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh.
Ayub Ibrahim Patel, from whose residence 20 hand grenades were recovered, was given ten years RI and asked to deposit a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh.
Today's sentencing takes the total number of those sentenced in the 1993 serial blasts case to 58.
A series of bomb blasts ripped through different locations in the city that killed 257 people and injured over 700 on March 12, 1993.
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