By TCN News,
Kannur: Thadiyantavide Naseer and Shafas have been found guilty in the Kozhikode twin blasts case and have been transferred to the Kannur Central Jail. The sentence was pronounced by the Ernakulam NIA special court on Friday.
Naseer was given triple life sentence and for Shafas it was double life sentence. Both have been awarded a five-year jail term as per some sections of the IPC. Besides, both have also been fined Rs 1.5 lakhs. The failure to pay the fine would lead to another three years in jail. They were taken from Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail to Kannur on Sunday, with high security. Both had requested before Ernakulam Special NIA Court Judge S Vijayakumar to move them to Kannur.
Third accused Abdul Halim of Kannur and ninth accused Aboobaker Yousuf of Malappuram were set free. Halim was released unconditionally and Yousuf on the benefit of doubt. The court reportedly observed that Naseer and Shafas had tried to create communal strife and grow terrorism. The accused were charged with several sections under the UAPA, criminal conspiracy, sedition, Weapons Act etc. The court reportedly observed that the accused tried to injure the unity and sovereignty of the country by wounding the feelings of other communities through the bomb explosion.
Gelatin sticks and other items for making the bomb were arranged from Ernakulam. Naseer and friends began their conspiracy to carry out the blast in 2002 itself. Naseer gave all the instructions. Shafas and Shammi Firose called up the Collectorate and a media organisation and informed that bomb had been placed.
When asked whether he had anything to say before the court, Naseer said that he had a wife and three children, but had nothing to say about the punishment. He also requested to let him follow religious rituals, grow beard and to cover his head. The court agreed to it. Shafas asked the court to reduce the punishment saying that he had a wife and two small children.
Special Prosecutor PN Raveendran was present for the NIA. Adv YK Kunjabdulla and Adv Noushad argued for Abdul Halim and Aboobaker Yousuf, who were released by the court finding them innocent.
The blast took place on March 3, 2006, in the two bus stations in Kozhikode. It was carried out to protest against the denial of bail to the accused in the second Marad riots case, according to reports. The case was investigated by the Crime Branch initially, when several innocents were caught. Later Thadiyantavide Naseer, said to be South Indian Commander of the Lashkar e Toiba, was caught from Bangladesh and it led to the arrest of the rest of the accused. The case was also transferred to the NIA, thus making it the first case of the NIA in South India.
Naseer and Shafas are accused the Kerala-Kashmir terror case, Kalamassery bus-burning case and the Bengaluru serial blast case. Naseer is accused in several other murder cases such as the Nayanar murder attempt case, etc.