Three more sentenced, total 43 get life term

COIMBATORE: With three more sentenced to life on Friday, the concluding day of the pronouncement of sentence, the special court here has awarded life terms to 43 persons for hatching a conspiracy to eliminate BJP leader L K Advani, by triggering a series of bomb blasts, during his visit here on February 14, 1998, which claimed 58 lives.
   
Of the 43, 26 were awarded double life terms, 15 single life term, one person to three life terms and another for the highest of four life terms and three years to 138 years maximum punishment for various other charges, to run concurrently.
   
Of the 70 convicted for major charges like criminal conspiracy and murder, 15 were sentenced to undergo 13 years imprisonment for conspiracy and three years to 45 years for different other charges, to be run concurrently.
   
The 58, who were in the jail for nearly 10 years as undertrials, would undergo only the remaining period of the life sentence, Judge K Uthirapathi announced.
   
The remaining 12 were sentenced to undergo imprisonment of seven to 10 years for conspiracy charges and three to 70 years for other charges, to run concurrently. As they had served 10 years in jail, their sentence has been set off against the term already served and the judge ordered their release from this case.
    
Those who were awarded life sentences include S A Basha, founder of the proscribed Al-Umma, its general secretary, Mohammed Ansari (double life), Basha's son, Siddiq Ali (double life) and Ozir (four life-term and 138 year RI).