Akshardham case: 3 sentenced to death, one life, 2 get RI

Ahmedabad, Jul 1 (UNI) A POTA court today handed down death penalty to three persons and life imprisonment to one, arrested in connection with the attack on Akshardham temple on September 24, 2002, in which 35 people including two NSG commandoes were killed and 81 were injured.

The other two accused got ten-year and five-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) respectively.

The six had been charged with conspiracy and waging a war against the nation under IPC sections - 120 B, 121, 121 C, 122, 123, 124 C, 153 (A)(2), 302, 307 and 452 and Arms and Explosive Acts.

Special POTA Judge Sonia Gokani, in her over 500-page judgement, pronounced death sentence for Chand Khan Sajjad Khan, who hails from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Mufti Abdul Qayyum Mansuri and Adam Suleiman Ajmeri. Besides, Mohammad Salim Sheikh has been given life imprisonment.

The judge also sentenced Mufti Abdul Miyan Qadri and Altaf Hussain Malek to ten years' and five years' RI, respectively.

Barring Chand Khan, the other five accused are from Ahmedabad.

The trial of the case was held in-camera in the Sabarmati jail premises, due to its security ramifications.

Welcoming the order, public prosecutor Sudhir Brahmbhatt said as it was an instance of ''rarest of rare cases,'' the death penalty was given.

The sentence will have to be ratified by the High Court, he said.

More UNI MP-MMG GK RP HT1720