A court in Coimbatore on Monday sentenced 35 persons to imprisonment ranging from nine months to seven years for their involvement in the 1998 serial bomb blasts. However, Judge K Uthirapathi of the sessions court (bomb blast cases) set off the term against the period already spent by them as undertrials. The charges against the 35 included attempt to murder, rioting and arson and also possession of explosives.
He posted to October 15 the pronouncement of sentence for seven others, pending receipt of remand particulars. Of the 166 accused in the cases relating to the bomb blasts which rocked the city on February 14 1998 during the visit of Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani claiming the lives of 58, a total of 158 have been convicted of various charges.
Of this, 70 were found guilty of major charges like criminal conspiracy and murder and the rest minor charges. The date for pronouncement of sentence with regard to five others and 70 persons convicted of major charges would be fixed later.
The court had on September 28 sentenced 41 persons to varying terms of imprisonment but released them after setting off their sentence period against the period already spent as undertrials.
Besides, eight others, including PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madhani, against whom charges were not proved, were also released.