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Indian court sentences 11 terrorists to life in jail for sedition

Xinhua, February 27, 2017 Adjust font size:

A special court in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh Monday sentenced to life in jail 11 members of the banned home-grown terror outfit, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), for sedition and possession of arms and explosives.

"It appears from the activities of the convicts that they don't have faith in the lawfully and constitutionally established Government of India... Their acts are against national unity and integrity of the country. They are involved in illegal activities by fomenting religious hatred with an aim to create serious danger for the entire humanity," the court said.

Among the 11 convicts who were handed down life imprisonment by the special court were top SIMI leader Safdar Nagori, who was said to be the face of the terror outfit.

The case dates back to 2008 when all the 11 SIMI terrorists were arrested by the police for their involvement in serial blasts in the western state of Gujarat, in which at least 57 people lost their lives and scores sustained injuries.

The blasts were actually triggered by the Indian Mujahedeen (IM), another terror outfit, but according to the police, the terror attack was part of a larger conspiracy jointly hatched by IM and SIMI to avenge the killing of Muslims in the 2002 post-Godhra communal riots in Gujarat.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat when the communal riots took place, in which over 1,000 people, mostly minority Muslims, were killed, and critics accuse him of doing little to stop the riots. Endit