Digital Desk: A special court in Ahmedabad has pronounced death sentence to 38 out of 49 convicts in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case that claimed 56 lives and for which nearly 80 accused were put on trial.
Under the terms of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, a special court established for the swift trial of the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb bombings case condemned 38 of the 49 prisoners to death. The 11 others were condemned to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Special Judge AR Patel, who delivered the verdict, granted Rs 1 lakh in compensation to individuals who killed in the blasts. He also granted sufferers with serious injuries Rs 50,000 in compensation and those with mild ailments Rs 25,000.
Usman Agarbattiwala, the only person convicted under the Arms Act and one of those sentenced to death, was also given a year in prison for his conviction under the Act.
Each of the 49 prisoners will serve their sentences concurrently under the IPC, UAPA, Explosive Substances Act, and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. A fine of Rs 2.85 lakh was also imposed on each of the 48 convicts by the court. Agarbattiwala was also fined Rs 2.88 lakh for his supplementary imprisonment under the Arms Act.
On February 8, the Special Judge found 49 of the 78 defendants guilty of numerous Indian Penal Code offences, including murder, sedition, and waging war against the state, as well as offences under the UAPA, or Explosive Substances Act.
The judge had already ended a hearing on the issue of punishment quantum, with the defence providing arguments on mitigating circumstances, seeking minimum punishment, and the prosecution presenting arguments on aggravating circumstances, seeking maximum punishment, i.e. death.
On July 26, 2008, 22 bombs exploded in Ahmedabad, killing 56 people and injuring 200 others at various locations including the state government-run civil hospital, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation-run LG Hospital, buses, parked bicycles, automobiles, and other places. One bomb apiece at Kalol and Naroda failed to detonate.
In emails that were sent to some media houses, the Indian Mujahideen (IM), an organisation that had not been heard of until then, claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case is regarded as one of the most drawn-out criminal trials in recent memory. The trial, which began in December 2009, involved 78 defendants. However, the number of defendants was reduced to 77 as one of them became an approver during the trial. Four more defendants were subsequently apprehended in the case, but their trials have yet to begin, according to a top government lawyer.
One of the 78 defendants on trial, Ayaz Saiyed, who later became an approver in the case, was accused of planting bombs in bicycles and an AMTS bus in Ahmedabad's Naroda neighbourhood, with the bus exploding near Sarkhej.
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