A court on Thursday sentenced three Khalistan Jindabad Force (KJF) militants to five-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) each for exploding a bomb at Kailash hotel in Paharganj area eight years ago.

"Befitting sentence should be handed out to the hardcore criminals like these three KJF militants, Sukhdev Singh, Satbir Singh and Purushottam Singh so as to have a deterrent effect in society," the ASJ said in its order.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) of Tis Hazari court sentenced the KJF militants and slapped a fine of Rs 1,500, Rs1,000, and Rs 500 respectively on the three convicted militants Purushottam Singh, Satbir Singh and Sukhdev Singh, after holding them guilty for entering into a conspiracy to wage war against the country.

According to the prosecution, all the three accused, residents of Jammu, conspired together to wage war against the country by exploding bombs including one that had exploded in the Kailash hotel in Paharganj area here on March 13, 2000, which had injured three persons.

The Crime Branch of Delhi police got secret informations from the Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Jammu that a few members of the KJF was coming to Delhi under the disguise of truck drivers to raising criminal activities in Delhi.

The prompt action of the police team headed by Ravi Shankar nab them in the same year 2000.

The police seized and recovered 63 live cartridges, 23 kilograms of RDX, two hand grenades, a pistol, fake counterfeit notes of face value of Rs 50,000 and few magazines from the alleged possession from the three militants.

The prosecution produced 21 witnesses to prove its case, against the convicted persons. The court had on September 2002, framed charges against them.

Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the opinion that the prosecution has been able to prove its charges against the three convicted persons beyond reasonable doubts," the ASJ said in its order.

The court convicted them under Sections 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy), 121 (Waging war against the country), 121-A (Conspiracy to wage war), 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of his function), 353 (Assault on public servant), 307 (attempt to murder), 489-B and C (Using andPossessing counterfeit currency) of the IPC.

They were also convicted under Sections 4 and 5 of Explosive Substances Act and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.