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In the first judicial verdict in a National Investigative Agency investigated case, a Kochi court on Friday sentenced suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist T Naseer and another accused to life imprisonment on charges, including sedition, in the 2006 Kozhikode blast case.
The quantum of punishment was pronounced by the National Investigating Agency court judge S Vijay Kumar, a day after Naseer and Shafas were found guilty. Two others were acquitted.
Naseer was handed down three life terms and Shafas two life sentences under Section 18 and Sect 16(1) of the Unlawful Activities (prevention act) and Sect 4(b) of the Explosives Substances Act.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.60 lakh on Naseer and Rs 1.10 lakh on Shafas.Both were awarded two years imprisonment each under Sect 124(A) of IPC (sedition) and two years each under Sect 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot).
The sentences would run concurrently, the court held.
Two policemen and a porter were injured in the Kozhikode blasts.
The judge ordered the accused to do physical labour and that they be given vocational training and permitted to have reading material in vernacular language relating to patriotic persons.
NIA counsel said this was a grave crime and no leniency should be shown to the accused. As far as India was concerned, the twin blasts in a city was a very serious crime.
Citing Supreme Court rulings, he said the impact of offence was on the whole society. Peace of the society had been disturbed by exploding bombs. It creates fear in society and so no leniency should be shown.
NIA Chief Investigating officer of the case and NIA SP, T K Rajmohan, told PTI that after formation of NIA in 2009, this was its first case in the country in which a judgement was delivered.
NIA is probing 22 cases across the country, of which seven related to Kerala, the official in charge of NIA cases in Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep said.