CHENNAI, April 18: Five people accused of masterminding a string of bomb blasts in 1998 aimed at killing Indian politician Lal Krishan Advani tried on Monday to kill themselves in protest against India’s slow justice system. The men consumed a mix of pesticides and blood pressure pills shortly before they were brought to the Coimbatore special court in the southern state of Tamil Nadu where their trial has been going on for the past seven years.

Minutes after telling the judge that they had consumed poison because the trial was taking too long, the men, all of whom are Muslims, collapsed in the courtroom and were rushed to hospital, police and witnesses said.

They were reported to be in a stable condition.—AFP