Home / Crime and Justice / Chennai Court Jails Bomb Plotter After Decades
Chennai Court Jails Bomb Plotter After Decades
4 Feb
Summary
- Zulfigar Ali convicted for 1999 serial bomb conspiracy.
- Al-Umma sought to retaliate against alleged mistreatment of prisoners.
- Explosives were assembled in pipe bombs and transported in jute bags.
A special court in Chennai has convicted Zulfigar Ali alias Appakutty for his involvement in a 1999 conspiracy to plant serial bombs. The targeted locations were police and prison facilities throughout Tamil Nadu. This conviction stems from a split trial related to the Coimbatore serial blasts from 1998-99.
The conspiracy was orchestrated by the banned Al-Umma organization. Their motive was to retaliate against the alleged mistreatment of Muslim prisoners within Tamil Nadu's correctional facilities. On May 30, 1999, bombs were placed at five key sites across Chennai, Coimbatore, and Tiruchy.
Evidence presented in court indicated Zulfigar Ali's participation in conspiracy meetings held in various cities. His role included storing explosives and facilitating their transport. Devices were constructed using gelatin and timers, uniformly packaged in jute shopping bags for distribution.
While one bomb exploded, others were successfully detected and defused by authorities. Zulfigar Ali was arrested in Coimbatore. His confessions, recorded before magistrates and later corroborated by recovered items like a scooter and pamphlets, were heavily relied upon by the court.
