By IANS
Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) : A court here Wednesday sentenced six people to life imprisonment, including three to multiple life terms, for their role in the February 1998 serial bombings in this textile town in which 58 people were killed.
Prime accused Syed Ahmed Basha, founder of the Al Umma group, has been sentenced to double life imprisonment plus three years rigorous imprisonment to run concurrently.
General secretary of the Al Umma group Mohammed Ansari also got double life imprisonment as well as seven seven-year sentences, two nine-year sentences and one three-year sentence to run concurrently.
The third person to be sentenced was Tajudin, who has been given one life imprisonment and three years rigorous imprisonment.
Accused number four Nawab Khan has been given a life term, two seven-year sentences and two three-year sentences.
The fifth accused, Basith, has got life, five seven–year sentences and one three-year sentence.
The sixth accused Ozir has been given four life terms, nine seven-year sentences and seven nine-year sentences.
The verdict is the final pronouncements of punishments for those accused of engineering 13 blasts in Coimbatore on Feb 14, 1998, a day when the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) L.K. Advani was scheduled to address an election rally in the town.