LeT bomb expert Tunda gets life term

Sonepat court on Tuesday awarded life imprisonment to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) bomb expert Syed Abdul Karim alias Tunda for his role in the 1996 Sonepat bomb blasts that had left 12 people injured.

Tunda (77) was on Monday held guilty by the court under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 3 (causing explosion likely to endanger life or property) of the Explosive Substances Act. He was, however, acquitted by the court in Section 5 of the Explosive Substances Act.

The court of additional sessions judge Sushil Garg awarded life imprisonment to Tunda in sections 307 and 120B of the IPC and another life term in section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act. The two punishments, since they are life terms, will run concurrently. The court also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh (₹50,000 each with two punishments) on him.

While Tunda requested leniency citing he was 77 years old and had three wives and six children, the judge said there was no space for any leniency. “The dangerous mission on accomplishment would have resulted in heavy casualties. Justice demands that courts should impose punishment befitting the crime,” the judge stated.

On December 28, 1996, Sonepat was rocked by two blasts at the bus stand and a local sweets shop — both crowded areas — in a matter of 10 minutes.

Tunda was later arrested by Delhi Police in August 2013 from the Indo-Nepal border in Uttarakhand. While recording his statement in court in September this year, Tunda had maintained that he was in Pakistan at the time of the bomb blasts.

Tunda’s involvement is suspected to be in at least 40 bomb blast cases across the country, including the 1993 Mumbai train blasts. The prosecution lawyer said 43 witnesses, including those who were injured in the blasts, recorded their testimony in the court during the trial. Blast victims welcomed the court order.