1993 blasts: SC upholds death for Yakub, makes it life for 10
March 21, 2013 12:17
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the death verdict for main accused Yakub Memon in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. The apex court also commuted the death sentence imposed on 10 other accused in the case to life imprisonment.
The court also upheld the conviction of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt under the Arms Act, but reduced his sentence from six years to five. As he has already spent one and a half years in jail, he will still have to undergo three and a half years in jail. The actor, who is currently out on bail, has been given four weeks to surrender. His sister and member of Parliament Priya Dutt, who was in the court-room, broke down on hearing the ruling.
The Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of the 10 other accused to life on the ground that they had already been behind bars for 20 years and their economic condition was weak.
The court also said that the management of and conspiracy behind the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai was done by Dawood Ibrahim and others in Pakistan, and it was the training in Pakistan that materialised into the blasts.
The accused were trained in bomb-making and to handle sophisticated weapons in Pakistan, the Supreme Court said, and specifically mentioned the Inter Services Intelligence for its role and involvement in the 1993 blasts.
The apex court also blamed the police, customs and coastal authorities for the country's terrorist attack on a metro.
The court dubbed Yakub Memon and all the absconding accused including underworld don Dawood Ibrahim as "archers" in whose hands the rest of the accused were "arrows". Read all about Yakub Memon here.
You can read all about the 1993 Mumbai blasts from the Rediff.com archives, here.
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