New Delhi - In the first sentences handed out by India's special court trying the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings case, five fishermen were sentenced Friday to three years in prison for smuggling arms and explosives used in the blasts, media reports said. Judge Promod Kode of the anti-terrorism court also imposed a fine of 25,000 rupees (612 dollars) on the five found guilty in the explosions that claimed 257 lives and left more than 700 injured on March 12, 1993, as bombs ripped through the heart of India's financial capital.
The five men were convicted of aiding underworld leader and key accused Tiger Memon in smuggling explosives, arms and ammunition on the Shekadi coast near Mumbai, the PTI news agency reported.
The court began sentencing 100 people who have been found guilty in India's worst terrorist attack after a 14-year long trial. The trial, considered one of the world's longest, has seen testimony by 686 witnesses and more than 13,000 pages of evidence.
The bombings were allegedly masterminded by Dawood Ibrahim, a top underworld mob boss, and his henchmen Memon and Mohammed Dossa. All three of the main defendants have eluded capture and face charges ranging from waging war against the country to conspiracy to commit terrorist acts.
Among the other defendants found guilty was Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who was absent from court Friday. Dutt, who is currently free on bail, has been convicted under the Indian Arms Act for possessing weapons that were part of the arms consignment smuggled by Ibrahim and faces up to 10 years in jail. However, he has been acquitted of the more serious charges related to terrorism.
According to India's Central Bureau of Investigation, the 1993 bombings were aimed at avenging the demolition of the disputed Babri mosque by Hindu fanatics in 1991 and the killings of Muslims in the sectarian riots in Mumbai that followed.
