As Judge P D Kode called out film producer Sameer Hingora's name in the TADA court on Friday, there was anxiety on his face.
He was wearing a loose cotton striped shirt and jeans, and like all other 1993 bomb blast accused wore no footwear.
Hingora, who had supplied the AK-56 rifle to actor Sanjay Dutt, was sentenced to nine years' rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakhs.
Hingora, when out on bail, had said in an interview to rediff.com last August, "Since the last decade I am praying to Allah to end this nightmare. My life has been frozen since my arrest. Now, hopefully, I will start living again."
Hingora has already spent a little more than five years in the Arthur Road jail. "The wait for the judgment has been excruciating," he had said then.
His other co-accused, actor Sanjay Dutt, was sitting on the last bench of the TADA court along with the other accused.
Dutt, like Hingora, was looking nervous and talking in a low voice with the other co-accused.
Hingora had produced Sanam film with Dutt before the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.
Before sentencing him to prison, Judge Kode said, "On the orders of Anees Ibrahim, brother of Dawood Ibrahim, Sameer Hingora supplied arms through Abu Salem to Sanjay Dutt."
Judge Kode, however, dismissed the prosecution's argument that he had connections with the serial blasts.
"The prosecution alleged that he bought seven air tickets for Yaqoob Memon but that charge has not been proved," said Kode. "He is a heart patient and has undergone angioplasty. Considering this I am sentencing the accused to nine years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2 lakhs."
There was complete silence in the court as the judge uttered the sentence and although Hingora's face reflected the disappointment within, he did not cry nor did he say anything.
He just walked away, leaving the other accused, Ghulam Hafiz Shaikh, to present himself before the judge. Kode sentenced Shaikh to eight years in imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000.
He commented, "Shaikh was involved in delivering and landing the RDX consignment. He was dancing to the tune of main accused Tiger Memon even prior to the blasts."
"He did this job only for Rs 1,000 and therefore he has to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 only," Kode added.
Shaikh folded his hands in a namaste to the judge and then raised his hands to the Almighty.
Yaqoob Memon, who was sitting with the other co-accused, then took permission from the judge to leave the court.
Farooq Motorwala, another accused who was in Dubai and was involved in the blasts, conspiracy was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment.
Judge Kode said, "After February 27, 1993, his involvement in the blasts is not proved."
Niyaz Qureshi, another accused, had tears in his eyes as the judge sentenced him to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000.
Spotting a ponytail, a slight beard and wearing a kurta and jeans, Qureshi had tears in eyes as the judge read out the sentence.
Judge Kode said, "The accused had surveyed the site where the blast was to take place, and till the last day he was active and played an active role in the blasts."
