The Special Court, hearing the 1998 serial bomb blasts case, awarded life imprisonment to three more convicts on Friday. The court also sentenced two convicts to 13 years rigorous imprisonment, thereby concluding the sentencing of all convicts.
The special court has awarded life terms to 43 persons for hatching a conspiracy to eliminate Bharatiya Janata party leader L K Advani, by triggering a series of bomb blasts during his visit to Coimbatore on February 14, 1998, which claimed 58 lives.
Special Judge K Uthirapathy also discharged approver Riyas-ur-Rahman from the case. However, he would not be set free as he is involved in three other cases, including the Classic Tower bomb planting case.
The judge said copies of the judgement would be handed out to all the convicted on October 29.
Of the 70 convicted of serious charges like criminal conspiracy, murder and rioting, the judge had awarded four life terms to Abdul Ojir, triple life imprisonment to Jehangir, double life imprisonment to 26, including Al-Umma General Secretary Mohammad Ansari and life sentences to 15, including Al-Umma founder-leader S A Basha.
As many as 15 convicted in the case have been sentenced to 13 years RI, ten to ten years RI and two to seven years RI. The sentences for the other convicts ranged from three years to ten years for charges like unlawful assembly and attempt to murder. However, all the sentences would run concurrently.
As many as 12 sentenced to less than ten years were relieved from the case immediately by giving them remission as they had already served over nine years in prison. However, only nine of them were released from prison as the other three were either involved or convicted in other cases.
After winding up the sentencing, the judge came down from his chair and thanked the prosecution and defence advocates, the media and police for their cooperation in hearing the case.
More from rediff