A Delhi court on Thursday awarded death penalty to three out of six convicted members of militant outfit Jammu Kashmir Islamic Front (JKIF) for the 1996 Lajpat Nagar blast
which had claimed 13 lives.
"Three convicts (Mohd Naushad, Mohd Ali Bhatt and Mirza Nissar Hussain) are being awarded the death penalty, which is subject to confirmation from the High Court,"
District and Sessions Judge S P Gargh said.
Sending the three convicts to the gallows, the court said their complicity in the grave offence warranted imposition of the extreme penalty.
The court also awarded rigorous life imprisonment to convict Javed Ahmed Khan who was found guilty of serious offences of murder, conspiracy and attempt to murder under
the IPC with the three convicts who got death penalty.
Convict Farooq Ahmed Khan and Farida Dar, who were held guilty under milder penal provisions, were allowed to walk free as the court said the imprisonment served during
the trial was their punishment.
The court had on April eight convicted six out of 10 accused in the case and rapped the police for "highly defective" probe and callous attitude.
Six members of JKIF -- Naushad, Bhatt, Hussain, Khan, Farooq Ahmed Khan and woman associate Farida Dar -- were held guilty for varying roles in the sensational case. PTI
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