Chennai: Coimbatore Police have deployed around 2,000 officers to prevent any untoward incidents during the funeral procession of S. A. Basha, founder of the banned Islamist organisation Al-Ummah and mastermind of the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blasts.
The blasts resulted in the deaths of 58 innocent people and left more than 200 injured.
Coimbatore City Police Commissioner Balakrishnan has instructed all police officers on leave to report for duty immediately.
Basha (84), who had been on parole since April 18, 2024, died at a private hospital in Coimbatore on Monday evening.
His body was taken to his son Siddique Ali’s residence at Rose Garden in South Ukkadam, Coimbatore, on Monday.
The family announced that the last rites would be held at the Hyder Ali Tippu Sultan Sunnath Jamaath Masjid at Flower Market on Tuesday.
A funeral procession will take place from the Rose Garden in South Ukkadam to the Sunnath Jamaath Masjid. Police have stepped up vigilance to prevent any untoward incidents.
Basha, who began his career as a firewood commission agent and real estate businessman, founded Al-Ummah and was the prime accused in the Coimbatore serial bomb blasts.
The attack was allegedly orchestrated to target BJP leader L. K. Advani, who had come to Coimbatore to attend an election meeting.
Following the incident, more than 160 individuals, including Al-Ummah founder-president Basha and secretary Ansari, were arrested, and Al-Ummah was subsequently banned.
Basha was accused of arranging the procurement of approximately 650 kg of gelatin and other explosive substances from Mysuru to manufacture bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
In the Coimbatore bomb blast case, the Crime Branch-CID (Special Investigation Team) arrested 166 individuals, including Basha.
A special court for the trial of the case convicted 158 individuals.
Of these, 43 were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Later, 41 individuals appealed to the Madras High Court. The court released two of them as they were juveniles at the time of the blasts.
The court confirmed life imprisonment for 17 individuals and acquitted 22 others.
The Madras High Court also rejected Basha’s petition against his life sentence. It may be recalled that Al-Ummah had a strong presence in
Tamil Nadu’s western and southern districts, particularly Coimbatore, Dindigul, Madurai, and Tirunelveli.
Basha was also involved in multiple murder attempts on prominent leaders, including former BJP national president Jana Krishnamoorthy and Hindu Munnani leader Thirukovilur Sundaram.
He was also accused in the attempted murder of then-Hindu Munnani Tamil Nadu state organizer Rama Gopalan in 1984 at the Madurai railway station.
–IANS
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