Alipiri blast case: Four-year jail term for three Naxals

A court at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday sentenced three Naxals to four years' rigorous imprisonment in a case related to the October 2003 blast at Alipiri targeting the then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

The accused Rammohan Reddy, Narsimha Reddy and M Chandra will also have to pay a fine of Rs 500 each, prosecutor Sudhakar Babu said. On October 1, 2003, Maoists triggered off a claymore mine blast near Alipiri when Naidu's convoy was heading for Tirumala. Naidu suffered injuries in the blast.

"The trio who were on bail were taken into custody after the judgement. They pleaded for reduction of sentence saying they were surrendered Naxals," Sudhakar Babu said. Of the 33 accused in the case, 11 died during the trial while 15 are still absconding. Two accused were convicted earlier and two others were acquitted.