Life Sentences for Trio in Kollam IED Blast Case

Three individuals were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Kerala court for their involvement in a low-intensity IED blast in Kollam in 2016. The convicts, linked to an extremist group, also received additional sentences under the IPC and fines for attempted murder.

A Kerala court has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for their involvement in a low-intensity IED explosion at the Kollam district collectorate in 2016. The District Principal Sessions Court Judge, G Gopakumar, handed the verdict to the accused: Abbas Ali, Shamsun Karim Raja, and Dawood Sulaiman, all from Madurai.

The three men were linked to an extremist group, reportedly affiliated with the ideologies of Osama Bin Laden, and were also sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder under IPC Section 307, along with a fine of Rs 30,000 each. The prosecution presented evidence linking the defendants to a series of court bombings in 2016.

The blast took place on June 15, 2016, with an IED hidden in a tiffin box placed inside a jeep. The investigative process involved collaboration between local police and the National Investigation Agency, leading to the arrest of the accused by year's end. The prosecutions cited efforts to incite terror nationwide.

(With inputs from agencies.)