Agencies Posted online: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at 1254 hours IST Updated: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at 0151 hours IST
Mumbai, May 22: In remarks tinged with sarcasm for his "high courage" for "personal gains", a TADA court on Tuesday handed down the harshest punishment so far sentencing to life imprisonment a former police sub-inspector for allowing a truck laden with arms and ammunition to move on to Mumbai city that was later used in the 1993 serial blasts.
Special TADA Judge P D Kode held that V K Patil did not deserve any leniency as he had misused and abused his official position as a police officer posted at the Srivardhan police station at Raigad and ordered him to pay a fine of Rs two lakh.
The court sentenced Patil to life imprisonment each on the two charges of criminal conspiracy and aiding and abetting a terrorist act and ordered him to pay a total fine of Rs two lakh -- Rs one lakh each for the two counts he was found guilty of.
The court said that both the life sentences would run concurrently and Patil would have to serve rigorous imprisonment for three years on each count if he defaulted on payment of the fine amounts.
Four other constables, who were part of the raiding party, were on Monday sentenced to six years' rigorous imprisonment.
Patil and others had intercepted the truck carrying the arms and ammunition on January 9, 1993 but had allowed it to pass after accepting a bribe.
In his verdict, Judge Kode said the "high courage on the part of the public servant (Patil) for special personal gains" came to the fore when even after intercepting the truck in a surprise raid, he let it off after settling for the bribe amount of Rs seven lakh with the other conspirators.
The court had on Monday awarded 10 years imprisonment to Manzoor Ahmed Sayeed for accompanying gangster Abu Salem to actor Sanjay Dutt's to pick up arms and had on Friday jailed five persons to three years prison term each for their role in helping smuggle explosives arms and ammunition prior to the blasts.
Mumbai, May 22: In remarks tinged with sarcasm for his "high courage" for "personal gains", a TADA court on Tuesday handed down the harshest punishment so far sentencing to life imprisonment a former police sub-inspector for allowing a truck laden with arms and ammunition to move on to Mumbai city that was later used in the 1993 serial blasts.
