38 Convicts Gets Death Sentence in the Ahmedabad Bomb Blast Case

A special court established to expedite the trial of the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts cases sentenced 38 of the 49 convicted to death on Friday. Judge A R Patel issued the sentence on Friday after the prosecution requested the death penalty in a 7,015 pages court order, describing the incident as a “rarest of rare case” in which innocent lives were lost.

Eleven other people were sentenced to life in prison. According to the defence attorneys, this is the most convicts sentenced to death in a single case in India’s legal history.

Ahmedabad Bomb Blast 2008

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The 2008 Ahmedabad bombings were a series of 21 bomb blasts that occurred in Ahmedabad, India, on July 26, 2008, over a 70-minute period. Fifty-six people killed, and more than 200 injured. As a series of bomb exploded in Ahmedabad, including the state government-run civil hospital, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation-run LG Hospital, buses, parked bicycles, cars, and other locations.

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The police received about 15 complaints in Surat and about 20 in Ahmedabad in connection with the July 26, 2008 serial blasts. In total, 78 people have been charged in the case, with eight people still wanted by police. Yasin Bhatkal, the mastermind behind the 2008 serial blasts, is imprisoned in Delhi, while Abdul Subhan alias Taukir is imprisoned in Cochin.

The bombs used in the explosions made of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, and were carried out by the Indian Mujahideen, which is a regrouping of the banned SIMI .

Court’s Sentence

Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Sections 10 and 16 (1) (a) (b) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, were used to determine the sentences for the 38 convicts (UAPA). Each of the 38 was also fined Rs 25,000 for each of the three offences.
The remaining 11 were sentenced to life in prison under IPC Section 302 and UAPA Sections 10 and 16 (1) (a) (b). A fine of Rs 25,000 was also imposed on each of them.
Aside from the aforementioned provisions, all 49 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment under four provisions of the law: UAPA Section 20, Explosive Substances Act Section 3, and IPC Sections 124 A (sedition), 121 A (criminal conspiracy), and 121 A (criminal conspiracy) (waging war against the state).