A Delhi court on Friday awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment to four suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants for carrying explosives and planning terror attacks on the eve of Republic Day celebrations in the capital in 2002.

Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Kaur held Mohammed Afzal Kunhar, Adil Nazir, Bilal Ahmed Mir and Ansar Ahmed Dar, all hailing from Jammu and Kashmir [Images], guilty under various provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

According to the prosecution, the militants allegedly wanted to avenge the death of militants shot dead during the Parliament attack in 2001.

The court while sending them to jail also slapped a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh each of them saying the charges of planning to wage war against the Government of India and possession of explosives, among other charges, have been proved against them.

According to the prosecution, all the four convicts were arrested on January 14, 2002 from Kotla Mubarakpur area in south Delhi. The crime branch of Delhi Police had recovered over 5 kilograms of RDX, detonators and Rs 35 lakh in cash from them. On sustained interrogation they had divulged about their nefarious design to explode bombs on the eve of Republic Day functions in the capital.