Coimbatore, Oct 15 : A court here today pronounced sentences for nine more persons, who were convicted for their involvement in the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blasts.

Special Judge K Uthirapthi sentenced the nine convicts to imprisonment ranging from three years to nine years.

They were accused of charges such as attempt to murder, possessing explosives and promoting communal hatred.

Judge Uthirapathi of the Sessions Court (Bomb Blast cases) set off the term of seven persons against the period already spent by them as undertrials and ordered their release

The other two, who are undergoing life imprisonment in another case, would remain in the prison.

The court posted the sentence till October 18 for the other three convicts, against whom the sentence was scheduled to be announced, as they were not present in the court today.

The court has already released 76 convicts, by setting off their sentence, ranging from 21 months to nine years, as they had served the term as undertrials.

In the case, the prosecuting agency registered cases against 168. Of these, one accused died in prison and another turned approver.

Of the 166 accused, a total of 158 have been convicted of various charges, while eight have been acquitted.

Among the eight not found guilty are PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madhani. They were also released.

On August 1, 70 accused were found guilty of major charges like criminal conspiracy and murder. The sentences for them would be announced on October 24.

Twelve blasts rocked the city on February 14, 1998 that killed 58 and injured over 200 others.

The blasts were targeted at a venue where senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani was scheduled to address a meeting.

In April 2000, a Special Court was formed to try the cases, and in the same year (October 2000), charges were framed.

The trial started in March 2002, and has examined 1,300 witnesses out of a total of 2,345.

The arguments began in June 2006 and ended on April 10, 2007.

The Special Investigation Team of Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department, which probed the cases, has argued that "Operation Allahu-Akbar", was part of a conspiracy to eliminate Advani. (ANI)