The Hindu

• Special Public Prosecutor terms judgment in church serial blasts historic 
• They committed heinous crimes against humanity and the country: judge
• Sentence will convey a tough message to terror elements: prosecutor

Bangalore, Nov 30: A special court in Bangalore on Saturday sentenced 11 Deendar Anjuman activists to death and 12 activists to life imprisonment for their role in the serial blasts that rocked churches in Karnataka during June-July 2000.

They were held guilty on November 21 this year by special judge S.M. Shivanagoudar after a long trial and were convicted for conspiring to wage war on the country. The court tried cases of explosions at churches in Jagajivanramnagar in Bangalore, Wadi in Gulbarga and Keshavapur in Hubli. It also tried one case with regard to a blast in a van on July 10, 2000, near Minerva Mills under Magadi Road police limits in Bangalore. Pronouncing the sentence at a packed court hall on the city Civil Court premises, Mr. Justice Shivanagoudar said the charges were not trivial and the accused had a specific motive of attacking churches, using explosives to execute their motive and intended to continue the onslaught if they had not been caught by the police. Thus, they had committed heinous crimes against humanity and the country and deserved the highest punishment.

The activists sentenced to death are Mohammad Ibrahim, Sheikh Hasham Ali, Hasnuzama, Abdul Rehaman Sait, Amanath Hussain Mulla, Mohammad Sharfuddin, Syed Muneerudin Mulla, Mohammad Akhil Ahmed, Ijahar Baig, Syed Abbas Ali and Mohammad Khalid Choudhary.

Sentencing the other 12 to life, justice Shivanagoudar, citing a recent Supreme Court verdict, said they should remain in jail till their death. The 12 are Mohammad Farook Ali, Mohammad Siddiqi, Abdul Habeeb, Shamshuzama, Sheikh Fardin Vali, Syed Abdul Khader Zilani, Mohammad Ghiyasuddin, Meerasab Koujalagi, Rishi Hiremath, Basheer Ahmed, Mohammad Hussain and Sangli Basha.

H.N. Nilogal, Special Public Prosecutor said, “The sentence will definitely convey a tough message to terror elements who are seeking to destabilise the country. This is a historic judgment and it highlights the efficiency of the police force.”

Four police officers — M.B. Appanna, G.R. Hiremath, B. Mahantesh and V.S. D’Souza — were involved in the investigation, and 27 Deendar Anjuman men from Bangalore, Hyderabad and Hubli were arrested. The trial was conducted on the high-security Bangalore Central Prison premises. Because of security concerns, Mr. Shivanagoudar pronounced the sentence through videoconferencing.