Mumbai, Sep 21 (IANS) A special court Thursday found Parvez Nazir Ahmed Sheikh, an aide of prime accused Tiger Memon, guilty of planting bombs at Katha Bazaar here that left four people dead and 21 injured on March 12, 1993.

Sheikh is the ninth among the 123 accused on trial to be convicted by the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Preventive) Act (TADA) court in a series of 12 blasts that ripped across the city and left it in a shambles on that fateful day.

The special court found Sheikh guilty of conspiracy and participating in landing operations of arms and ammunition, which arrived at Shekhadi coast of Raigard district of Maharashtra on Feb 3 and 7.

"He (Sheikh) has been found guilty on 17 counts under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Indian Explosives Act and Explosive Substances Act. He was however, not found guilty on two counts - participating in arms training at Sandhari and Bhorghat villages in Raigard district and transporting weapons from Jogeshwari to Musafirkhana in Mumbai prior to the serial blasts," said special judge P.K. Kode.

"But his involvement in landing of arms and ammunition at Shekhadi in Raigard district has been proved. He was also present at the Al-Hussaini Building, where the RDX were loaded in different vehicles," Kode noted.

"His conviction comes from his confessional statements which were taken on record and were examined. He has also been charged with murder, abetment, conspiracy and destruction of property," the judge said.

Sheikh's confession statement, which he later retracted, says that Abdul Gani Turk introduced him to the absconding Tiger Memon.

According to the statement, Sheikh helped others fill up RDX in the vehicles and he went to Sea Rock hotel and placed the explosives filled suitcase inside a room. He also parked a blue scooter loaded with RDX at Katha Bazaar.

Earlier, the court recorded the statement of Abdul Gani Ismail Turk, a former driver of Tiger Memon and the man who triggered the Century Bazaar blasts at Worli that killed 113 people and injured 227.

Pleading leniency in his sentence, the bearded Turk said: I am not a terrorist. I was dragged into the conspiracy. Please be lenient on my sentence taking into view of that I have to support my 80-year-old mother and two unmarried daughters."