23 people convicted on Church blasts

23 people belonging to Deendar Channabasaveshwara Anjuman group have been convicted by a special court, for their alleged involvement in serial blasts at Churches in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa in 2000.

In 2000, six blasts were carried out by the group in Andhra Pradesh, four in Karnataka and one each in Maharashtra and Goa.

Founded by Hazrat Moulana Siddique alias Deendar Channabasaveshwara Anjuman in 1920, the outfit hatched the conspiracy in Hyderabad in 1999.

A three-member Corps of Detectives team headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police V S D'Souza investigated the church blasts at Wadi (Gulbarga District), Hubli, Bangalore and another blast in the state and filed a chargesheet before the special court.

Special Court Judge S M Shivana Gowdar who convicted the 23, is yet to pronounce the type of punishment in the case which has been adjourned till December.