58 killed in 19 blasts in 4 days: A look back at 1998 Coimbatore case as TVK grants parole to 5 convicts

The Tamil Nadu government granted 60 days’ parole to five life-term convicts from the 1998 Coimbatore blasts. The decision allows temporary release for personal reasons, including health conditions, despite the attack’s devastating impact.

The men—Mohammed Ansari, Mohammed Ali, Monappa alias Mohammed Hassan, Mohammed Ajam and Nawab Khan—are held at Coimbatore Central Prison. One reportedly sought parole after nearly 30 years in prison, while all five had served more than 20 years. The blasts killed 58 people and injured 250 across 19 explosions from February 14 to 17, 1998.

The parole order drew sharp criticism from the BJP, which said it insulted victims and betrayed survivors. TVK had not immediately commented when the report was filed. The release means the convicts will be outside prison for two months, although the article gives no further conditions.

Parole is a temporary, conditional release from prison before a sentence ends. The person remains convicted and must follow release terms, usually returning to prison afterward. By contrast, someone released after completing a sentence has finished the punishment ordered by the court, though other legal restrictions may still apply.

In the Coimbatore case, Tamil Nadu granted 60 days’ parole to five life-term convicts. The stated reasons included personal matters and health conditions; one reportedly said he had served nearly 30 years. This shows the key mechanism: parole pauses imprisonment for an approved period, rather than cancelling the conviction or completing the life sentence.

The source does not list the parole conditions or explain the state’s detailed legal process. It says the five had spent more than 20 years in prison, while 158 of 166 tried people were convicted. Practically, parole means temporary freedom with continued obligations; sentence completion ends that imposed sentence.

The 1998 Coimbatore attack was a four-day bombing campaign, not a single explosion. Nineteen blasts killed 58 people and injured 250 others, making it one of Tamil Nadu’s deadliest attacks.

Between February 14 and 17, explosions struck Coimbatore and nearby areas. The first day brought 12 powerful blasts near an election rally for BJP leader L K Advani. A police cordon prevented attackers from reaching the meeting. Delayed devices were hidden in cars, two-wheelers, bags, push carts, and tea cans.

The violence continued after the initial explosions. Blasts hit a hospital, railway station, markets, streets, and other locations. The first day alone killed 47 people. Overall, the attack killed 58, injured 250, and caused ₹4.37 crore in damage. Its scale came from repeated explosions across several public places and days.

The attackers aimed to strike BJP president L K Advani’s election rally at RS Puram, Coimbatore, on February 14, 1998. A police cordon blocked access, so the attack spread to other crowded or important places instead.

Bombs hit or were reported near the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, railway station, markets, streets, and other sites. The devices used time delays and were hidden in cars, two-wheelers, abandoned bags, push carts, and tea cans. That method let explosions occur separately from the rally, across four days, making the violence harder to contain.

Investigators said Al-Umma organised the blasts as retaliation for 18 Muslims killed during communal riots and police firing. The final toll was 58 dead and 250 injured, with ₹4.37 crore in damage. The case produced 158 convictions among 166 people tried, and parole for five life-term prisoners remains controversial.

Al-Umma was a now-banned fundamentalist organisation led by S A Basha. Investigators said it planned and carried out the 1998 Coimbatore blasts. This link mattered because the bombings followed severe communal violence in the city.

The violence began after traffic constable R Selvaraj was stabbed to death. Communal riots and police firings then killed 18 Muslims, and investigators said Al-Umma acted in retaliation. Its members used timed devices placed in cars, two-wheelers, bags, push carts, and tea cans.

Between February 14 and 17, nineteen explosions killed 58 people and injured 250. The attacks also targeted places near an election rally for BJP leader L K Advani. Authorities arrested 168 people, tried 166, and convicted 158. Around 40 received life sentences, including five later granted 60-day parole, renewing debate about accountability and the victims’ suffering.

After arrest, investigators gather evidence and a court tries the accused; conviction means guilt was proven. A life sentence generally means imprisonment for life, though law may allow earlier release. Parole is temporary, conditional release and does not erase the conviction.

In the Coimbatore case, 168 people were arrested, 166 were tried, and 158 were convicted. Around 40 received life terms, and many appealed to the Supreme Court. Tamil Nadu granted five convicts 60-day parole for personal reasons, including health; all had served over 20 years.

Today, parole decisions can trigger public debate, especially after serious violence. BJP criticized the decision as insulting victims, while the report records no immediate TVK response. The practical point is clear: parole changes where a prisoner stays temporarily, but does not overturn the conviction or sentence.

Parole is temporary release from prison, not erasure of a conviction. Yet in a mass-casualty case, it can feel like a public judgment about punishment, fairness, and risk. Victims’ families may see release as disrespectful, while authorities must explain personal or medical grounds clearly.

In Coimbatore, 19 blasts between February 14 and 17, 1998, killed 58 people and injured 250. The attacks were linked to Al-Umma and came as BJP leader L K Advani was due to address a rally. Granting five life-term convicts 60 days’ parole after more than 20 years triggered accusations that victims and survivors were being betrayed.

The government cited personal reasons, including health; one convict reportedly said he had served nearly 30 years. Still, the BJP called the decision a lenient approach toward convicted terrorists, and TVK had not immediately commented. The case shows why parole decisions need transparent safeguards and communication, especially when 158 of 166 tried accused were convicted.