MUMBAI: The special court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) trying the 1993 Mumbai blasts case on Thursday declared a person guilty of planting a bomb.

Mohammad Shoib Ghansar, who planted an RDX-laden scooter in Zaveri Bazaar on March 12, 1993, was held guilty under several sections of TADA and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The blast had killed 17 people and injured 57 others.

The maximum punishment under TADA for this offence is the death penalty; the minimum is life imprisonment.

The proceedings began on Thursday with a discussion on the possibility of declaring all the accused under one charge: guilty or not guilty. However, designated judge P. D. Kode set that suggestion aside and instead pronounced his verdict on Ghansar.

Mr. Justice Kode said although two eyewitnesses had not identified Ghansar in the court during the stage of recording evidence, he relied on the confession of the accused and other evidence. However, there was not enough evidence to prove that Ghansar had participated in the landing of RDX at Shekhadi or facilitating the escape of Tiger Memon, the prime accused.

Ghansar was convicted under Sections 120-b of the IPC and 3(3) of TADA, the charge of criminal conspiracy that applies to all the 123 accused.

Judge explains findings

Mr. Justice Kode explained his findings on each charge. He said Ghansar was found guilty under Section 3 (2)(i) of TADA (committing a terrorist act resulting in death). Subsequently, he was also found guilty under the following Sections of the IPC — 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt), 435, 436 (damage of property) — and several sections of the Explosive Substances Act.

The judge convicted Ghansar under Section 3(3) of TADA for his role in filling RDX in motor vehicles, which were used in other explosions that occurred the same day.

Dressed in a white salwar kurta, Ghansar stood with prayer beads in his hand as the judge pronounced him guilty.

After a court official explained the charges and the findings to him, he tried to say something in his defence. However, Mr. Justice Kode stopped him and said he could make his submissions on Friday.

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