Karnataka: Church blasts case hearing on Nov 28

DH News Service,Bangalore:
The Special Court hearing cases on blasts in Churches in various parts of Karnataka in 2000 has adjourned the hearing to Nov 28.

This was after the judge S M Shivangoudar heard the arguments from both the sides. Several activists of Deendar Anjuman Organisation had been convicted in the case and quantum of punishment is yet to be pronounced.

Charges, including the one on waging war against the country have been framed against the accused. The charges attract capital punishment or life imprisonment.

Prosecution sought capital punishment as the act of the convicted amounts to waging war against country. Public prosecutor Nilogal had argued that the act of accused indicates their anti-social nature. They burgled the churches before planting bombs. The court should note that some of them were educated, engineers, doctors and BHEL employees.

The counsel for the accused had sought reduction in quantum of punishment considering the family background of the accused and the circumstances under which they resorted to such acts. Defence counsel G Jairaj claimed that the accused resorted to such acts to prevent religious conversion activities.

The bombs exploded when there was no one in the churches. The intention behind exploding the bombs was not to claim lives or cause damage to the buildings, he said. They resorted to such acts as they were emotionally
immature.