1993 bomb blasts convict acquitted in extortion case

Mansoor Sayeed, convicted in 1993 serial bomb blasts case, has been acquitted in an extortion case. Although the maximum punishment prescribed in IPC for extortion offence is seven years, the trial of Mansoor went on for 11 years in which he was acquitted recently.

Mansoor Sayeed, convicted in 1993 serial bomb blasts case, has been acquitted in an extortion case.

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Although the maximum punishment prescribed in IPC for extortion offence is seven years, the trial of Mansoor went on for 11 years in which he was acquitted recently.

Convicted by a TADA court in the 1993 bomb blasts case on charges of transporting arms from residence of film star Sanjay Dutt to the house of accused Zebunisa Kazi, Mansoor walked out of jail in August 2007 after spending 14 years behind bars. During the trial, Mansoor got bail in 1995 but was re-arrested in 1999 in an extortion case.

Vakola police charged him with extorting money from a businessman and recovered a revolver from him at the time of his arrest. He was sent to jail again in connection with the extortion case, his lawyer Subhash Kanse told PTI.

Mansoor, a travel agent, had gone to Dutt's house with gangster Abu Salem to collect AK-56 rifles and deliver them to Kazi. Salem had told Kazi that underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees had asked him to keep the arms with her.

Dutt too was convicted in the 1993 bomb blasts case but he filed an appeal in the Supreme Court which is pending.

Mansoor, who was sentenced to ten years imprisonment, however, did not appeal against his conviction in the same case because he had already spent the period in jail.

Mansoor had also tried to get bail in extortion case but the court had rejected his plea and he had to spend the time in jail until he was acquitted.