Court Convicts Trio for Court Complex Blast: A Case of Terror Tactics

A Kerala court has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for a 2016 IED blast in Kollam. The court ruled the explosion aimed to instill public fear and challenged India's judicial security. The accused, linked to multiple blasts, sought leniency due to familial duties, which was denied.

On Thursday, a Kerala court handed down life imprisonment to three individuals involved in a low-intensity IED explosion at the Kollam district collectorate in 2016, marking it as an act intended to incite public terror.

The court, presided over by District Principal Sessions Judge G Gopakumar, convicted Abbas Ali, Dawood Sulaiman, and Shamsun Karim Raja under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Ali and Sulaiman each received two life terms, while Raja was sentenced to three life terms.

The judgment highlighted the defendants' intention to challenge public confidence in the judicial system and emphasized using the penalties to deter extremist ideologies. Additional fines and sentences under the Indian Penal Code and the Explosive Substances Act were also imposed.

(With inputs from agencies.)