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1997 Jubilee Hills blast convictions upheld

The Andhra Pradesh high court on Friday upheld the convictions and acquittals recorded by the special court in the sensational Jubilee Hills bomb blast case, in which 25 persons were killed and several others injured in Hyderabad in 1997.

A division bench comprising Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice G Raghuram also enhanced the sentence of the six main accused persons from 14 years in prison to life.

The special court had earlier convicted and sentenced Gangula Suryanarayana Reddy alias Suri, N Dasari Reddy, Varukuti Prabhakar Reddy, Gottuluri Vasudeva Reddy, Ramasani Ananda Reddy, and M Laxmi Reddy to 14 years' rigorous imprisonment on various counts.

Another accused, S Pavan Kumar, a computer engineer who was the technical mastermind of the car bomb attack, was also sentenced to life imprisonment.

While modifying the sentence of 14 years' rigorous imprisonment to life in prison, the high court refused to interfere with the acquittals.

In its 138-page judgment delivered on Friday, the division bench took into consideration the movements of the accused prior to the date of offence, purchase of a car and explosive materials, preparation of bombs, and the presence of some of them in Hyderabad on the day of the blast.

Besides upholding the convictions, the bench directed that each of the guilty should serve full-fledged life imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 5,000.

It may be recalled that on November 18, 1997, bombs planted in a car were set off to target Paritala Ravi, Telugu Desam Party legislator and former minister, while he was returning from the muhurat of a Telugu movie at Rama Naidu Studios in Jubilee Hills.

Twenty-five persons, including the crew of a local television network, were killed in the bomb blast. Several others, including Paritala Ravi and prominent film actor and former Member of Parliament Mohan Babu, were injured.

The prime accused Suri had plotted to kill Ravi to avenge the killing of his family members.

The prosecution indicted 21 persons on 83 counts under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act. The special court constituted to try the case delivered its verdict on January 12, 2000.

Of the 14 accused and tried by the court, six were convicted.

PTI

ALSO SEE:
Six persons sentenced to 14 years in Jubilee Hill blast case
Prime suspect in car bomb blast surrenders
Police identify two culprits in Hyderabad blast

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