COIMBATORE: S A Basha (84), the founder of banned militant outfit Al-Umma who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast case, passed away due to age-related illnesses at PSG Hospitals in Coimbatore on Monday evening.
Basha was the architect of the February 14, 1998, serial bomb blast that killed 58 people and left over 231 people injured in Coimbatore. One of the bombs went off just minutes before BJP leader LK Advani was to address an election meeting at RS Puram in the city.
The investigation, initially handled by the Coimbatore police, was transferred to the CB-CID’s Special Investigation Division. Over time, 166 suspects, including Basha, were arrested. After a long trial, a special court convicted 158 people, and sentenced 43 of them to undergo life imprisonment. Several people appealed the sentence in the Madras HC.
The court upheld the life sentence of 17 convicts, released two people who were juveniles at the time of the incident, and acquitted 22 others. Seventeen people appealed the ruling in the Supreme Court, but one died during the course of the hearing. Basha chose not to appeal his conviction.
The chargesheet filed in 1999 accused Basha of plotting to assassinate Advani using a suicide squad. It also alleged that he arranged 650 kg of gelatin and other explosives from Mysore to make bombs and IEDs, which were used in the attacks.
Basha was granted parole by the Madras High Court a few months ago, allowing him to spend time with his family.
According to his family sources, his body will be taken in a funeral procession from South Ukkadam to the Hyder Ali Tippu Sultan Sunnath Jamaath Masjid at Flower Market on Tuesday evening.
To maintain law and order during the procession, the Coimbatore city police have cancelled the leave of all personnel and instructed them to report for duty on Tuesday morning. Around 2,000 officers will be stationed along the procession route.