Kolkata, Feb 5 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court Friday upheld the death sentence to Aftab Ansari and Jamiluddin Nasir in the American Center attack case.

A division bench comprising Asim Banerjee and Justice Kalidas Mukherjee pronounced the verdict after a 77-day hearing.

Six policemen were killed in the attack in front of the American Center here Jan 22, 2002.

Ansari, Nasir and five others had appealed to the high court against the death sentence given to them by a city sessions court.

Ansari and Nasir's death sentence was upheld while the punishment of Hasrat Alam, Sakib Akhtar and Bobby was reduced to life sentence. The remaining two Rehan Alam alias Monty and Adil Hossain were freed due to lack of evidence.

Public prosecutor Animesh Goswami had earlier urged upholding the death sentences of Ansari, Nasir, Sakib Akhtar, Hasrat Alam, and Bobby, while leaving the quantum of sentence to the two others to the discretion of the court, saying that the evidence against them was little.

The lawyers for the seven convicts claimed that they were innocent and had been framed.