COIMBATORE/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 2 August 2007 — A court here yesterday convicted 73 leaders and activists of the banned outfit Al-Ummah in the 1998 serial bombings that killed 58 people here though it acquitted Kerala-based People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Abdul Nasser Maadani of all charges.
The court said there was “not sufficient evidence” against Maadani and found him “not guilty” of the charges laid against him. Al-Ummah chief S.A. Basha, the prime accused, and its General Secretary Mohammed Ansari were convicted of criminal conspiracy, supplying and transporting the bombs that rocked Coimbatore city on Feb 14, 1998, during then Home Minister L.K. Advani’s election tour. The bombings also injured 250 people and caused loss of property worth Rs.140 million.
The verdict by Sessions Court Judge K. Uthirapathi led to jubilation among PDP activists in Tamil Nadu and neighboring Kerala who were waiting for the release of the ailing Maadani.
Emerging out of the Coimbatore Central Prison, Maadani said he would continue to fight for the “oppressed and the downtrodden.”
“First of all I thank God. I’m indebted to all those who stood by me to protect human rights. I’ll dedicate the rest of my life to the people of Kerala, and of course, I’ll correct the mistakes on my part, if there were any,” he said.
He said he would hold a news conference this morning at the Mascot Hotel here before addressing a rally at Shankumugham Beach in the evening.
The PDP working chairman Poonthura Siraj said Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy and other top political leaders will also address the rally.
Maadani, who lost his right leg in a bomb attack allegedly carried out by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists and is suffering from a host of diseases induced by the long confinement, would be admitted to the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences here for a detailed checkup.
Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said he had instructed the police to provide tight security to the Muslim leader while Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy offered all assistance to make available the best treatment for him. The state will also bear all the expenses of his treatment.
Some other Al-Ummah activists charged with criminal conspiracy include Tajuddin and Fazal, Nawas Khan, Baasheed, Rasheen, S.A. Mohammed Aulkhan, Siddiq Ali, Babu, Jaheer Hussain, Abdul Salam, Tada Aslam and Siraj.
The judge said the major charge under Section 120b (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) had been proved against 73 of the 166 accused.
The charges against eight people had not been proved, the judge concluded.
He deferred the verdict against five people and said there were minor charges against the remaining accused.
A special investigation team probing the blasts said the terror attack was intended to kill Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Advani. Police said the blasts were in retaliation for the killing of 17 Muslims in a riot and subsequent police firing after one policeman was killed in Coimbatore on Nov. 29, 1997.
In the trial that began in March 2002, the court has heard the testimony of 1,300 witnesses. The punishments will be announced from Aug. 6, most probably under the Possession of Explosives Act and they may include life terms.
