Kerala: Court delivers life sentences to three in Kollam collectorate blast case

Three individuals, Abbas Ali, Shamsun Karim Raja, and Dawood Sulaiman from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, have been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Kollam Principal Sessions Court for the 2016 Kollam Collectorate blast case. 

Kollam: Three convicted individuals have been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the 2016 Kollam Collectorate blast case, as per the verdict delivered by the Kollam Principal Sessions Court. The convicted individuals—Abbas Ali, Shamsun Karim Raja, and Dawood Sulaiman—are natives of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. The fourth accused, Shamsuddin, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

The blast occurred on June 15, 2016, when a bomb hidden inside a tiffin box exploded in an unused jeep belonging to the Labour Department, which was parked near the Munsif Court in Kollam. The accused were identified as members of the banned organization, Base Movement. The police investigation revealed that the attack was linked to the Ishrat Jahan encounter case.

During the trial, the convicts sought a reduced sentence, citing the eight years they had already spent in prison. Notably, Mohammad Ayyub, the fifth accused, turned approver in the case, providing crucial testimony. Despite their plea for leniency, the court imposed life sentences on the three men found guilty.