Memon's accountant Asgar Mukadam and aide Shahnawaz Qureshi, made the claim in their statements before designated judge P D Kode on the quantum of sentence.

Mukadam who was found guilty on Monday of parking a van laden with explosives at the Plaza Theatre on the day of the blasts, said Memon took advantage of his "frame of mind" after the Babri Masjid demolition and subsequent communal riots.

"Police were partial (during the communal riots of 1992-93) and politicians too did not pay any heed... I could not understand what to do and was forced to take revenge (for the riots) due to this."

According to him, some "vested interests" took advantage of his emotions and he pleaded that he did not have any criminal record prior to the blasts.

Qureshi, who was found guilty on Monday of taking arms and ammunition training in Pakistan, apart from parking the bomb-laden van at Plaza along with Mukadam, said, "My house was set ablaze during the riots and I was misled and taken to Dubai under the pretext of providing me with an alternative job."

"From Dubai, I was taken to Pakistan and sent back to India via Dubai," he said adding that one could no get arms training in mere four to five days -- the duration for which he was in Pakistan.

He said after Allah (god) he had faith only in TADA judge but the court did not record his statement observing that this was his personal view.