A TADA court today held two close associates of prime conspirator Mohammed Dossa guilty of helping in the smuggling of arms and RDX used in the 1993 serial bomb blasts.

Uttam Potdar and Salim Mira Shaikh were held guilty of facilitating landing of arms and RDX at Dighi coast in Raigad in February 1993.

Both Uttam and Salim were held guilty under Section 3 (3) of TADA (P) Act for aiding and abetting terrorist acts and Section 6 for violating provisions of the Arms Act. However, both were absolved of charges of participating in the conspiracy as there was no evidence to this effect, the court held.

The court held Uttam Potdar guilty of bribing customs and police officers. Judge P D Kode accepted the confession of Uttam and took into consideration the evidence of two eyewitnesses.

The court also found Salim guilty of attending a meeting in hotel Persian Durbar in Panvel, Navi Mumbai, to bribe customs officers and policemen for smooth passage of arms and RDX from Raigad to Mumbai. The court also accepted the evidence of Salim's telephonic talks with other accused in Dubai about the landing operations and bribing of officers. The talks were intercepted by police and produced before the court.

Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told reporters that today’s verdict is significant because the court has given a finding on involvement of both accused in bribing customs and police officers as also their role in helping Mohammed Dossa and his brother Mustaffa Dossa.