Chennai, May 9 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu government is likely to give amnesty to 1998 Coimbatore blast convicts, including terror group Al-Ummah founder S.A. Basha, sources said on Tuesday.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu government told IANS that the state government is contemplating freeing the 12 life convicts in the case.

According to officials, the 12 Coimbatore blast case convicts are in the list of prisoners to be released prepared by a commission headed by retired Madras High Court judge, Justice N. Authinathan.

State government sources told IANS that Basha is 82 years old and hence his name is considered for release. Another convict, Thajudhin, 62, is considered for release due to health issues.

The Coimbatore blasts, where a dozen bombs went off in a 12 km radius on February 14, 1998, had killed 58 people and injured over 200. Basha and his Al Ummah were behind the blasts, aimed at the then Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani who was to address a public meeting on that day.

A judicial commission of Justice P.R. Gokulakrishnan was constituted on April 7, 2000 to probe the case and it found that Al Ummah was responsible for the blasts. The trial of the case began on March 7, 2002 and as many as 1,300 witnesses were examined and Basha and his accomplices were sentenced to life imprisonment.