HC acquits 10 in church blast case

 The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday acquitted 10 persons, including three who were sentenced to death by a trial court in the church blast case.

All the accused belong to the banned outfit Deendar Channabasaveshwara Anjuman sect, who were convicted of blasts in churches in the State in 2000. Police had arrested 11 persons in connection with the church blasts in the State on July 9, 2000 and the CoD submitted a final report to the court on October 10, 2000.

Hearing an appeal by the government, seeking confirmation of the trial court conviction of the 10 persons, the Division Bench comprising Justice D V Shylendrakumar and Justice B Manohar quashed the death sentences ordered by the lower court.

The first accused Syed Mohammed Ibrahim was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment. But since he had served 12 years of imprisonment, the court — citing lack of evidence — said he be set at liberty.

The court also took note of the fact that Ibrahim, the prime accused, himself was injured in the blast. The Bench, observing that there is no clear evidence to connect the accused to the offence, set aside the trial court order and acquitted three more accused - Syed Hasan-ul-zama, a former employee of Indian Air Force, Abdul Rehman Sait and A A Mullah, both employees of BEML.

The other seven accused are Sheik Hashim, Mohammed Farooq, Mohammed Siddique, Abdul Habib, Shamsuzzama, Sheikh Fardeen Vali and Syed Abdul Khader Jilani (life imprisonment), who were all sentenced for waging a war against the country by setting off blasts in three churches in the State, including the one at Jagjeevanram Nagar in Bangalore.

They were arrested for setting off blasts at St Ann's Catholic Church at Wadi, Gulbarga, St John Luthern Church, Hubli and St Peter and Paul Church in Bangalore. Accordingly, they were booked for creating disharmony among communities and destabilising the Central government.

They were sentenced after a long trial. The prosecution had examined 67 witnesses, filed 298 documents and 212 incriminating articles to establish the case. The trial court, after a long hearing, had sentenced all the 11 on November 21, 2008, with four being sentenced to death. The State had moved the High Court for confirmation of the same.