Four guilty in Delhi parliament attack

The parliament attack sparked off a crackdown on militants

Four people have been found guilty by a special anti-terrorism court in India of charges related to an attack on the parliament in Delhi.

Three of the accused were convicted of waging war against the state and the fourth of aiding and abetting those who launched the attack, reports said.

They had intentions to capture parliament and to kill the prime minister and home minister...

Justice SN Dhingra

Nine people were shot dead when five armed gunmen entered the grounds of parliament in Delhi in December last year.

India blamed the attack on Pakistan-backed militants - a charge denied by Pakistan.

Relations between the two neighbours deteriorated after the attack as they mobilised up to a million men along their common border, leading to international concern about a possible war.

Sentencing awaited

None of the accused took part in the attack, but prosecutors said they helped in the planning it.

The accused collected explosives and committed murder, having "hatched a criminal conspiracy like war against India", Justice SN Dhingra announced in the court.

"They had intentions to capture parliament and to kill the prime minister and home minister... they attacked parliament house armed with weapons rifles, grenades and one body bomb," the judge said.

Sentences are due to be announced on Tuesday.

The three - Mohammed Afzal, a 35-year-old fruit merchant, Shaukat Hussain and SAR Geelani, a Delhi college teacher - could face the death penalty or life in imprisonment.

The fourth, Navjot or Afsan Guru, wife of Hussain, who was found guilty of "withholding information" from police may get a lesser sentence.

Police say two of those found guilty are members of the Pakistan-backed militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, fighting in Indian-administered Kashmir.