A Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention Act) court on Thursday acquitted five accused in the 1993 bomb blast case who were charged with going to Dubai on way to Pakistan for arms training, saying the evidence against them was 'weak' and fell short of conviction.
However, the court convicted Sarfaraz Phanse, an aide of prime conspirator Tiger Memon, for aiding terrorist acts by facilitating the landing of arms and explosives at Shekhadi coast in Raigad district of Maharashtra, which were used in the 1993 blasts.
Phanse is son of Dawood Takla, who was convicted last week for attending conspiracy meeting called by prime conspirator Dawood Ibrahim in Dubai to plot the 1993 serial explosions.
However, Phanse, who faces maximum punishment of life imprisonment, was acquitted of the conspiracy charge.
Mansoor Qureshi, Shaikh Kasam Babulal, Sultan-e-Rome Ali Gul, Abdul Aziz Kader and Mohammed Iqbal Ibrahim were acquitted as the prosecution failed to prove that they had gone to Dubai for arms training. The Central Bureau of Investigation alleged that the five accused could not go to Pakistan from Dubai as conspirators did not make their travel arrangements.
They were also acquitted of charges of attending conspiracy meeting
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Coverage: 1993 Mumbai Blasts