A special court, hearing cases related to serial bomb blasts in churches in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa [Images] in 2000, has convicted 23 people belonging to the Deendar Channabasaveshwara Anjuman group.

Of the 27 accused who were tried, four were acquitted.

Special Court Judge S M Shivana Gowdar is yet to pronounce the quantum of punishment in the case, which has been adjourned till December 3.

Special Public Prosecutor H L Nilogal argued for the state.

In 2000, six blasts were carried out by the group in Andhra Pradesh, four in Karnataka and one each in Maharashtra and Goa.

A three-member Corps of Detectives team headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police V S D'Souza investigated the church blasts at Wadi (Gulbarga District), Hubli, Bangalore and another blast in the state and filed a chargesheet before the special court.

The blasts were carried out by the Deendar Channabasaveshwara Anjuman outfit founded in 1920s and the 'conspiracy' was hatched at Hyderabad on October 1999, the COD said.

The outfit was founded by one Hazarat Moulana Siddique alias Deendar Channabasaveshwara, the sources said.