HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA Vs. IZHER BAIG

JUDGEMENT

(1.) A series of bomb blasts at Churches situate at various places rocked the State of Karnataka in the year 2000 attempting to disturb the normal tranquility of the civilized society and the peace loving people of Karnataka who believe in co -existence of all religious denominations. The Karnataka Government constituted a Special Court for trial of these cases numbering four in Bangalore. These Appeals and Reference arise out of the bomb blast that took place at St. Ann's Catholic Church situated at Wadi, on 08.06.2000 at 6.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m.

(2.) CRL . A. No. 1205/2008 is preferred by A. 3, A. 4, A. 5, A. 6 and A. 7 and Crl. A. No. 26/2009 is preferred by A. 8, A. 10, A. 11, A. 12, A. 13, A. 14, A. 15, and A. 16. Both these appeals are preferred against the judgment and sentence passed in S.C. No. 570/2003 in Crime No. 77/2000, by the 34th Addl. City Civil & Sessions Judge and Presiding Officer, Special Court for the trial of Church Bomb Blast Cases, convicting under Section 235(2) Cr.P.C. for offences under Section 120 -B read with Sections 121 -A, 124 -A and 153 -A IPC, and for other offences, for bomb blast which took place at St. Ann's Catholic Church situated at Wadi.

(3.) ACCUSED are the members of Deendar Anjuman Association having its head office at Asifnagar, Hyderabad in the State of Andhra Pradesh and branches at various places in that State as well as Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and other States. Late Hazrath Moulana Syed Siddique Kibla @ Siddique Deendar Channabasaveshwara, the founder of Deendar Anjuman was born on 07th June 1886 to a remarried widow at Balampet near Gurimitkal in Gulbarga District. He had primary education at Hirapura Village in Gulbarga District, studied Kannada, English, Urdu, Arabic and other languages and higher education from Mohammadan College, Madras. After graduation, he practiced as an Ophthalmologist for some days in Bijapur District. He studied Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bible, Quran, Vachana Sahitya and other literature pertaining to different religions in India and was closely associated with Lingayath Community and its literature. Being a good orator with knowledge of different religions, he was able to establish social contact with people of all religions in that area.