The special TADA court on Thursday handed out death sentence to Iqbal Shaikh (34), a bomb planter, and sentenced to life former Additional Collector of Customs (Preventive) Somnath Thapa and Bashir Khairulla for their role in the Mumbai serial blasts of 1993.

Iqbal Shaikh (34) had parked an RDX-laden scooter in Naigaum which didn’t explode. He also drove convict Nasim Barmare to Sahar flyover where Barmare lobbed a hand grenade.

• SOMNATH THAPA

Customs officer Thapa was convicted for facilitating smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives by Dawood Ibrahim, Mohammed Dossa and Tiger Memon. Eventually, these were used in the blasts that killed 257 people.

“There was non-interference on his part in spite of getting specific information about the consignment which he was legally bound to prevent from coming,” said Judge Kode.

Thapa had jurisdiction over Raigad district where the arms consignment landed. His superiors had informed him on or around January 25, 1993 that prohibited arms, ammunition and explosives were likely to be smuggled by Pakistan’s ISI. Also, Thapa was ordered to maintain strict vigil in the area.

But Judge Kode held that on the day the arms landed in Shekhadi and Dighi, Thapa knowingly and intentionally diverted Customs surveillance staff towards Bankot.

• IQBAL YUSUF SHAIKH

Shaikh parked an RDX-laden scooter in front of one Dr Mandot’s clinic in Naigaum. It remained unattended for two days, after which the doctor got suspicious and informed the police.

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