Three Mumbai bombers face death

Hundreds were killed or wounded in the blasts

A court in India has sentenced three more people to death for their involvement in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai (Bombay) in 1993.

Their sentencing means that six people have so far been condemned to death for the crime, which killed 257 people.

A total of 100 people were convicted in the case. The blasts were allegedly organised by the Muslim-dominated underworld in the city.

It is believed they were in revenge for earlier Hindu-Muslim religious clashes.

Explosive-laden scooter

"The court gave the death penalty to three people who planted bombs and were involved in the main conspiracy," chief prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, told reporters.

Asgar Mukadam and Shahnawaz Qureshi were found to have taken an explosive-laden car to the Plaza cinema and parked it there. Ten people were killed and 36 others wounded in the blast.

1993 MUMBAI BLASTS 13 blasts 257 dead 713 injured 123 arrested and tried Four so far sentenced to death Around 25 suspects absconding 10,000 pages of charges 686 witnesses testify 35,000 pages of evidence submitted At least 13 years to reach a verdict

Mohammed Ghansar parked an explosives-laden scooter in front of a jeweller's shop in a market, killing 17 people and injuring 57 others in the blast which followed.

"If you commit such an act, there is no other penalty," judge PD Kode said in passing sentence.

It is unusual for an Indian court to hand down the death penalty, and few people are actually executed.

In total, 100 people have been found guilty of involvement in the "Black Friday" attacks, which correspondents say were the most destructive and co-ordinated in the country's history.

At least 10 other convicted bomb planters still await sentencing.

The alleged masterminds of the blasts, Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon, have been on the run since 1993.

Indian investigators say they were assisted by Pakistan's intelligence service, but Islamabad has denied any link.