Gujarat HC Upholds Death Sentence to 38 For Terrorist Attack
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Gandhinagar, July 07: In a rare ruling in the judicial history of India, Gujarat High Court, Tuesday, upholds death sentence for 38 accused in 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blast, which claimed 56 lives and left hundreds injured. Eleven others were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Earlier, 26 people were sentenced to death in Rajiv Gandhi assasination case. It is for the first time that as many as 38 people, all involved in terrorist attack, have been sentenced to death.
The Court dismissed all the appeals filed by the convicts.
The serial blasts took place on July 26, 2008, when around 22 bombs exploded at different locations across Ahmedabad in Gujarat, killing 56 people and injuring hundreds. Among the targeted locations were the Civil Hospital and LG Hospital. The banned terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen had claimed responsibility for the attacks.
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In 2022, a special court in Ahmedabad convicted 49 of the 77 accused in the case. Of them, 38 were sentenced to death, while 11 were awarded life imprisonment. The special court had also acquitted 28 accused, while one of the accused had turned approver for the prosecution.
Background: The 2008 Ahmedabad Serial Blasts
The Ahmedabad serial blasts took place on July 26, 2008, when 21 bombs exploded across the city within 70 minutes. The attacks claimed 56 lives and left more than 200 people injured.
Most of the bombs were planted in tiffin boxes attached to bicycles. Several explosions targeted Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) buses, while two blasts occurred inside the Civil Hospital and LG Hospital shortly after the initial explosions, when injured victims were being brought in for treatment. Security agencies later recovered and defused additional live bombs in Ahmedabad and neighbouring Surat.
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Soon after the blasts, several television channels received an email from the Indian Mujahideen claiming responsibility for the attacks. During the investigation, the Gujarat Police arrested several suspects, including alleged mastermind Mufti Abu Bashir.
In February 2022, a special court in Ahmedabad delivered its verdict in the case. Of the 77 accused, 49 were convicted, while 28 were acquitted due to lack of evidence. Among those convicted, 38 were awarded the death penalty and 11 were sentenced to life imprisonment.