Lucknow,June 18: A special Allahabad court hearing the Ayodhya terrorists attack case sentenced on Tuesday four out of the five accused to life imprisonment.Judge Dinesh Chandra also imposed fine on them.The fifth accused was let off for lack of evidence.
The attack made fourteen years ago had left two people living the area dead and injured seven Central Reserve Police Force personnel.All the five attackers were also killed in the gun battle which lasted about an hour.
They are believed to have come via Nepal and had belonged to a dreaded terrorist organisation harboured in Pakistan.They were provided logistic and other supports from some people in the area.Five persons were arrested by the UP police in this connection and sent to jail.Four of them have been found guilty.
The attack was made on July 5, 2005.Police gave the name of arrested persons as Irfan, Ashiq Iqbal alias Farooque, Shakeel Ahmed, Mohammad Naseem and Mohammad Aziz.All of them are cooling their heels in Naini jail in Allahabad. The court found no evidence against Aziz and ordered for his release.
In last fourteen years as many as 63 witnesses were examined. According to some of the witnesses,the terrorists had posed as pilgrims,visited the disputed site in Ayodhya and offered offers.They changed their vehicles twice. All of them were heavily armed.
The police had recovered a grenade launcher, five 56 assault rifles, five pistols and several grenades.Some documents and mobiles phones were also seized.
The case was first heard in Faizabad and transferred later to Allahabad(now Prayagraj).The hearing was completed on ninth of this month.
