By IANS
Coimbatore : A local court here Wednesday convicted 68 activists of the banned Tamil Nadu fundamentalist outfit Al Umma, including its top leaders, in the 1998 serial blasts that killed 58 people here while acquitting Kerala-based People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Abdul Nasser Mahdhani of all charges.
The court said, there was “not sufficient evidence” against Mahdhani and found him “not guilty” in the charges against him.
Al Umma chief S.A. Basha, the prime accused, and its general secretary Mohammed Ansari were convicted of criminal conspiracy, supplying and transporting the bombs that rocked Coimbatore city Feb 14, 1998, during then deputy prime minister L.K. Advani’s election tour. The blasts also injured 250 people and caused loss of property worth Rs.140 million.
The verdict by sessions court judge K. Uthirapathi led to jubilation among PDP activists in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala who have been waiting for the release of the ailing Mahdhani.
Mahdhani is likely to come out of jail soon and be taken to Kerala. “We are working out the legal formalities for his release,” Abdur Rahman, a member of his legal team, told the media here.
He has been acquitted of all five charges, including criminal conspiracy. He has been in Coimbatore jail for over nine years. The Kerala assembly passed a resolution last year appealing for his release.
The other activists charged with criminal conspiracy include Tajuddin and Fazal.
The plea for a compassionate approach to the physically-challenged Mahdhani has been made repeatedly by prominent personalities, including former Supreme Court judge V.R. Krishna Iyer.
The judge began reading his verdicts at 10 a.m., and had read 102 verdicts till the court went into recess in the afternoon. There are 166 accused in the case.
A special investigation team probing the blasts said the terror attack was carried out under the name “Operation Alla Ho! Akbar” and was intended to kill Advani.
Police said the blasts were in retaliation to the killing of 17 Muslims in a riot and subsequent police firing after one policeman was killed in Coimbatore on Nov 29, 1997.
The trial began in March 2002. The Coimbatore sessions court has heard the testimony of 1,300 witnesses.
The punishments will be announced from Aug 6.