Tamil Nadu: Mastermind of 1998 Coimbatore Blast shifted to hospital

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Basha, the mastermind behind the 1998 Coimbatore blast case, was admitted to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Monday after breathing issues and high blood sugar levels.

Basha, now 83 years old, has spent over two decades in Coimbatore Central Prison in connection with the 1998 Coimbatore serial blast case.

He is the founder of the 'Ummah' organization in Tamil Nadu, a radical Muslim terrorist group.

Following the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blast, which claimed 58 lives and left 250 others injured, the State Government banned the 'Ummah' organization.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court, while calling the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast incident, "atrocious", dismissed the bail pleas of some of the convicts.

"They have been convicted for something in which 58 people had died. Bail is out of the question", said the Bench.

As many as 58 persons were killed and 250 had suffered injuries when 19 bomb explosions rocked Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu between February 14 and 17, 1998.

The improvised explosive devices, with time delay mechanisms, had been placed in cars, two-wheelers, abandoned bags, push carts, tea cans and so on.

The Madras High Court in its verdict in December 2009 on the appeals filed by those convicted by the trial court, had said February 14, 1998, was a day of "unimaginable terror and horror as bombs continuously exploded in the city of Coimbatore."

Of the 166 accused in the case, the trial court in August 2007 pronounced 69 persons guilty of different offences.

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