5 Varanasi serial blasts case accused get life terms

Lucknow, Jan 23 (UNI) A Lucknow Fast Track Court (FTC) today pronounced life terms for five accused in the March 7, 2006 Varanasi serial bomb blasts case.

FTC court of additional sessions judge Dharmaraj Mishra handed down the life terms to Mahboob Ali, Mohd Farhan, Mohd Saad Ali alias Shaad alias Babbu, Rizwan Siddiqui and Sayyed Shoaib Hasan.

Booked under terrorism, treason, arms and explosives charges, the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (HuJI) terrorists were also slapped with Rs 40,000 fine each.

The accused, arrested from Lucknow, were accomplices of the blasts mastermind Wali-ul-lah, whose case is pending in a Ghaziabad district court.

According to the prosecution, the quintet were arrested by the elite Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police around 1630 hrs on April 5, 2006 on Lucknow-Kanpur highway on a tip-off.

Later, a case was registered at the Sarojini Nagar police station here.

Maps recovered from these terrorists had markings around the Sankat Mochan Temple, Railway Station, Dashashwameth Ghat, Bharat Mata Mandir, Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi.

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