Sixteen people were sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday by a fast-track court in the New Delhi that held them guilty of killing eight people in a communal clash in northwest Delhi in November 1990.
Sentencing the convicts, Additional Sessions Judge NP Kaushik said the prosecution had been able to prove the case against them beyond all reasonable doubt.
The convicts are: Nawabuddin, Mohammed Nasir, Tahir Asad, Asad Ali, Azim, Israel, Balo, Abdul Shahid, Shahabuddin, Sabir, Mohammed Ayub, Mohammed Ayub, Mohammed Rashid, Mohammed Arif, Salauddin and Nawab Salauddin.
On September 1, the court had held them guilty of murder, attempt to murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and mischief by fire/explosive substance under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In November 1990, violence had broken out following speeches by leaders of two communities at a meeting organised at the Idgah Park in Sadar Bazar to condemn the foiled attempt to barge into the disputed site at Ayodhya, the chargesheet said.
While police had let off the leaders who had allegedly used inflammatory words in their addresses at the meeting, charge sheets had been filed against 18 people. One of the accused died during the trial while another is absconding.
{{/usCountry}}While police had let off the leaders who had allegedly used inflammatory words in their addresses at the meeting, charge sheets had been filed against 18 people. One of the accused died during the trial while another is absconding.
{{/usCountry}}In another case related to the violence, lodged after a complaint by a woman victim, the court held four people guilty and would pronounce the quantum of sentence on September 11.