Kerala court sentences 3 to life imprisonment in Kollam collective blast case

The Main Sessions Court in Kollam on Thursday sentenced three accused in the Kollam Collection blast case to life imprisonment. They were also fined Rs 30,000 each.

District Principal Sessions Court Judge G Gopakumar ordered each of the three convicts – Abbas Ali (first accused) from Madurai’s Ismail Puram, Shamsun Karim Raja (second accused) from Madurai’s K Puldu and Dawood Sulaiman from Madurai’s Pallivasal. He sentenced (the third defendant) to life imprisonment. Imprisonment for offenses under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The convicts were found guilty under Indian Penal Code sections including 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon or means) and 427 (causing damage worth Rs 50 crore or more). They were also convicted under the Explosive Substances Act, the Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act and Sections 16B, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Earlier on Tuesday, the court found the three men guilty. The convicted individuals were identified as members of the Base Movement, a group allegedly linked to the terrorist organization Al Qaeda. The fourth accused, Shamsuddin, also from Madurai, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking him to the incident.

The blast occurred on June 15, 2016, when a bomb hidden inside a tiffin box exploded inside an unused jeep belonging to the Ministry of Works parked near Munsif Court in Kollam. The defendant used a time-locked improvised explosive device (IED) that they placed in the Ministry of Labor’s unused jeep. One person was seriously injured in the explosion.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested the suspects in 2017, which led to charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosives Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code.