India sentences four to death for bombing Modi rally

PATNA: Four people accused of bombing a 2013 election rally for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been sentenced to death, with two others jailed for life over the deadly attack.

A series of blasts rocked a park in the eastern city of Patna soon before then-opposition leader Modi was due to address a massive crowd gathered there for a campaign event.

The attacks also targeted a nearby train station, altogether killing six people and injuring nearly 100 others.

The National Investigation Agency, the country’s main counter-terrorism authority, said Monday that the accused were all from the banned Students Islamic Movements of India group.

Public prosecutor Lalan Kumar Sinha told AFP the group was convicted on Monday for conspiring to “wage a war against the government”.

The court also jailed three others implicated in the bombings for terms of between seven and 10 years.

A lawyer for the accused said the sentences would be challenged in a higher court.

“The NIA has failed to identify the mastermind in the case,” Syed Imran Ghani told AFP on Tuesday.

“The accused are not terrorists and have no criminal record.”