Coimbatore Blast Case: Basha, Nine others get Lifer

The final verdict in the Coimbatore blast case has been pronounced. The founder leader of Al-Umma, S A Basha and its general secretary Mohammed Ansari were awarded life imprisonment. Eight other convicts also got lifer in the 1998 case. It can be recalled that 70 of the 166 accused were convicted on charges of criminal conspiracy and murder. K Uthirapathi, the judge of the Special Court pronounced sentences for the first 10 convicts.

Interestingly, the convicts would undergo imprisonment for periods ranging from 17 to 125 years. Since they have been in the jail for the last 10 years, they would serve only the remaining period of the life imprisonment. The blasts occurred on February 14, 1998 on the eve of the visit of BJP leader L K Advani. The blasts claimed at least 58 lives.