Mumbai, May 22
The special court set up under the Terrorism and Disruptive Activities Act to hear the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case today sentenced former police sub-inspector Vijay Krishna Patil to two terms of life imprisonment that will run concurrently. Judge Pramod Kode of the TADA court also ordered Patil to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh.

Patil was earlier found guilty of allowing a truck loaded with arms and explosives that were used to carry out the March 12, 1993 blasts in the city. Patil, who was tipped off about the arrival of the contraband-laden vehicle but let it go after taking a bribe of Rs 7 lakh.

The TADA court observed that Patil did not deserve any leniency as he had abused his official position as a police sub-inspector. The former cop was found guilty of two charges of criminal conspiracy and aiding and abetting of a terrorist act.

The court also sentenced five persons, Usman Man Khan Shaikh, Shaikh Ibrahim Shaikh Hussain, Mohammed Hanif Usman Shaikh, Mohammed Sayeed Mohammed Ishaq and Gul Mohammed Noor Mohammad, who had undergone arms training in Pakistan ahead of 1993 serial blasts to six years rigorous imprisonment. They were also fined Rs 15,000 each. Another man, Mohammed Rafiq Usman Shaikh, was given seven years rigorous imprisonment by the court. They were all part of a group of people who were sent to Pakistan via Dubai to obtain arms training. Except for Usman Sheikh the others did not attend conspiracy meetings on their return to India.