The outlawed Al Umma activists who were on Wednesday awarded sentences ranging from life to three to ten years in prison, appeared defiant when a special court pronounced the quantum of punishment with the group’s founder S A Basha calling it a “shame on India” and another convict openly holding out a threat to Hindutva leaders like L K Advani, Narendra Modi and Praveen Togadia.

Thirtyfive of the 70 main convicts who were awarded sentences were brought in batches of 10 into the court which was cordoned off. Security was tight in and around the court complex. The judge called the convicts one by one and read out the sentence. They all remained composed.

Basha said told judge K Uthirapathi that Muslims were being singled out for punishment while Hindu fundamentalists were left untouched. “It’s a shame on India,” he declared.

Targeted

Another convict sentenced to life, Basith, said leaders  like L K Advani, Narendra Modi and Praveen Togadia were getting away with murder, while Muslims were being targeted for punishment.

He said: “If you can't punish them, at least withdraw their security for just an hour and they will meet the fate of Haren Pandya (former Gujarat home minister who was gunned down during his morning walk in Ahmedabad a couple of years after the anti-Muslim pogrom in that state).  

Basha’s nephew and Al Umma general secretary Mohammed Ansari pleaded that they all be kept in one jail, preferably in Coimbatore as shifting them to different prisons would amount to punishing their families.

Besides, they had to consult one another and their lawyers regarding going on appeal. Defence lawyers said it was a fit case for appeal. One of them, Mr R Thirumalairajan, said there was conflicting evidence on the main charge of conspiracy. Besides, the procedure adopted was flawed.

They were not given copies the day the judgment was pronounced on August 1 and so they could not effectively argue on the quantum of punishment. Even on Wednesday, the judge only pronounced the punishment without explaining the rationale. The prosecution strongly pressed for capital punishment for the 70 held guilty of criminal conspiracy and allied major offences.