By IANS
Mumbai : The guard of Tiger Memon, who played a key role in the 1993 serial Mumbai blasts, was Tuesday sentenced to 14 years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs.375,000 for his role in the terror attack.
A special court here also sentenced four other people to varying jail terms.
The fine imposed on Manoj Gupta alias Mohammed Ali Khan, who guarded prime accused Memon, was the highest imposed so far by the Special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) Court in the case.
Gupta, after hearing his sentence, pleaded with Special Judge Pramod Kode to reduce the fine imposed on him since he was a poor man and would not be able to cough up such a hefty amount.
"I am poor man, your lordship, how can I pay such a hefty fine. Please have mercy on me and reduce it," Gupta pleaded.
Parvez Qureshi and Salim Bilase were awarded life imprisonment. While Qureshi was given an additional 10 years rigorous imprisonment for aiding and abetting the blasts, Bilase was also awarded 14 years rigorous imprisonment. They were fined Rs.50,000 and Rs.200,000 respectively.
Kode said Qureshi was part of the terror conspiracy until the morning of the blasts on March 12, 1993, but backed out at the last moment.
"He was to throw hand grenades at the Fishermen's Colony in Mahim in central Mumbai. He told the prime conspirators that he would be back after a five-minute break. However, he never came back," Kode said.
Salim Bilase alias Salim Mirza Sheikh was found guilty of attending a meeting between Mohammed Dossa, another accused who is absconding, and the customs officials at a restaurant in coastal Riagad prior to the landing of RDX and arms at the Dighi coast.
Bilase was also convicted for having negotiated a Rs. 800,000 bribe with policemen to allow the safe passage of the contraband.
The court sentenced Noor Mohammed Khan to five years rigorous imprisonment for storing RDX at his godown in suburban Kashimira. He has been fined Rs.150,000.
Altaf Ali Mustaque Ali Sayed, a former travel agent, got a 10-year jail term and was fined Rs.250,000 for the illegal possession of two suitcases containing 100 hand grenades and detonators. Fellow accused Yakub Memon was to take the suitcases from him.
So far, 68 of the 100 convicted in the terror attack, which claimed 257 lives, have been sentenced by the TADA Court.
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted for illegal possession of arms, four members of the Memon family and those who planted the bombs are among the 32 convicts yet to be sentenced.