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Two people, including a Pakistani national, were sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court in the 1996 Modinagar bus blast case, while the third accused was discharged due to lack of evidence.
Additional Sessions Judge Mangal Prasad also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on Ilyas and Pakistani national Abdul Matin, and acquitted Tasleem.
Sixteen people were killed and over 18 injured when a blast took place in a Uttar Pradesh roadways bus in Modinagar when it was on way to Uttarakhand from Delhi.
The Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department had arrested Ilyas and Tasleem in connection with the blast.
During interrogation, both the accused had revealed that Matin was the main conspirator in the blast, after which police also arrested him. Charges were framed against the trio in 2003.
The court held both the accused guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (Attempt to murder) and 121 (Waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the government of India) among others.
The court had concluded hearing in the case on April 4. A total of 34 witnesses were examined by the prosecution.