Chennai, Dec 18 (IANS) The Madras High Court Friday upheld the life sentences to 18 of the total 40 people convicted in the 1998 Coimbatore blasts, while 21 others were acquitted. Petitions challenging the acquittal of People's Democratic Party leader Abdul Nasser Maudany and seven others were also dismissed.

The bomb blasts that rocked the textile city of Coimbatore killed around 60 people while over 150 people were injured. The blasts also affected the city's progress for several years.

The special court that tried the case gave its verdict in 2007, convicting 41 of the 43 accused, while two were released as they were underage at the time of the blasts. Thirty-nine of these appealed the sentence while one had died in custody and one did not appeal.

The revision petition was filed in the Madras High Court challenging the acquittal of Maudany and six others and seeking death sentence for S.A. Basha, leader of the banned Al-Umma organisation.