2005 Satyam-Liberty blasts: Court convicts accused

A Delhi court has convicted one of the accused, arrested along with some suspected members of banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in connection with the twin blasts at Satyam and Liberty cinema halls here in May 2005, after he pleaded guilty to the offences.
Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh convicted Surinder Singh Kanda, a resident of Kenya, for the offence punishable under provision of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and sentenced him to nearly five years in jail which he had already undergone behind bars during the trial.
Kanda was arrested for harbouring suspected BKI member Dilbag Singh, a co-accused in the case who had earlier pleaded guilty to the offences, and was in custody from July 14, 2005 to May 10, 2010 in connection with the case.

"As the accused (Kanda) has voluntarily pleaded guilty to the offences alleged against him, his plea of guilt is accepted and he is individually convicted for the offence for which he had been separately charged i.E. Under section 19 of the UA (P) Act," the court said.
"As far as the quantum of sentence is concerned, he was in custody between July 14, 2005 and May 10, 2010. Considering the period of his incarceration and the fact that he has voluntarily admitted his guilt, he is sentenced to the term of imprisonment already undergone by him," it said and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.

The order came after Kanda, in December last year, had moved an application through his counsel M S Khan to plead guilty to the offences alleged against him.

Kanda was arrested in connection with the case in which two separate bombs had exploded at Liberty and Satyam cinema halls on May 22, 2005. The first bomb had exploded at Liberty Cinema in Karol Bagh around 8.20 pm resulting in death of one person and injuring 55 others.
On the same day, around 8.40 pm, another explosion took place in the toilet of Satyam Cinema in Patel Nagar causing injury to several persons and damage to the property.

Several accused, including BKI's Jagtar Singh Hawara was arrested in connection with the case.