PTI

Mumbai, May 30: A special court here on Wednesday awarded life sentence  to octogenarian Dawood Phanse, one of the main conspirators in the 1993 serial bomb blasts, and sentenced seven others to jail terms ranging from five years' to life imprisonment.

Dawood Phanse, 83, one of the main conspirators, who had met underworld don Dawood Ibrhahim in Dubai and attended a meeting at which the conspiracy to bomb Mumbai was hatched, was given two life sentences (to run concurrently).

TADA judge Pramod Kode said 'but for his age,' Phanse would have got the maximum sentence under TADA--death penalty.

Kode also imposed fine of Rs 2 lac on Phanse.

Phanse had confessed that Dawood himself told him that arms and explosives would be sent to India for avenging demolition of Babri mosque.

Phanse, who organized landing of arms and RDX at Shekhadi in Raigad, has spent around 13 years in custody.

Muzzamil Umar Kadri, convicted for participating in landings at Shekhadi and possessing 13 AK-56 rifles, was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of Rs 1.25 lac.

Kadri was also held guilty for being party to the conspiracy to commit the terrorist act but Judge Kode made it clear that he had had no role in actual blasts of March 1993.

However, he was a 'man of confidence' of the main conspirators, the judge noted. Kadri broke down while hearing the sentence.

Khalil Nasir was awarded ten years rigorous imprisonment on three counts -- conspiracy, role in Shekhadi landing and illegal possession of a pistol. He was also directed to pay fine of Rs 1.25 lac by the court.