Ex-Gujarat minister, 11 others sentenced in `93 Surat blasts

Surat, Oct 4 (PTI) Former Congress minister Mohammad Surti and four others were saturday sentenced to 20 years in prison while seven others were awarded a 10-year jail term in the 1993 Surat blasts case.

A Tada court earlier in the day convicted the 12 in
connection with the two blasts in the Surat city in which an
eight-year-old girl was killed and 31 others were injured.

Former Minister of State for Fisheries Surti and four
others -- Hussain Ghadiyali, Iqbal Vadiwala, Mustak Patel and
Yusuf Dadu, were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by special
Tada court judge R.P. Dholadia, who also slapped a fine of Rs
two lakh each on the five.

Seven others were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment
while one was acquitted.

There were 21 accused in the twin blast case out of which
13 were arrested while eight were absconding.

The blasts had taken place in January 1993 in Varachha
area and on the platform number one of Surat railway station
during the communal riots that broke out after the demolition
of Babri Masjid.

The blast at Varachha had claimed the life of Alpa Patel
and injured 11 others, while that on the railway station had
wounded around 20 people.

Around 160 witness had deposed in the case.