Ahmedabad Serial Blast Case: 38 Accused Sentenced To Death

First Time In India to Hang So Many culprits!

On Friday, A special court, was formed for the speedy trial of the 2008 serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad, in which 38 of the 49 convicts are sentenced to death under provisions of UAPA and IPC 302. The court also sentenced 11 others to life imprisonment until death.

According to the information, around 38 accused have been sentenced to death by hanging in the Ahmedabad serial blast case. This is the first time in India in which so many accused have been sentenced to death in a single case.

Information stated that Eleven of the accused have been sentenced to life in prison. The case will now go up to the Gujarat High Court, where the death sentences will be confirmed.

Pronouncing the judgment, Special Judge AR Patel awarded a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to those who had died in the blasts. He also awarded a compensation of Rs 50,000 for victims with serious injuries and Rs 25,000 for those with minor ones.

According to the statement, "The hearing on the sentencing is over and now the judgment is to be pronounced. The court has said that it will pronounce the order on February 18," said Patel.

On July 26, 2008, Ahmedabad city was rocked by a series of bomb blasts in which 56 people were killed and over 200 hundred injured.

Islamic militant group Harkat-ul-Jihand-al-Islami had claimed responsibility for the attack. As many as 21 bomb blasts were carried out by the outfit across the city in 70 minutes. The Ahmedabad civil hospital was also targeted in the blasts.

The attack was allegedly carried out to seek revenge for the riots that happened in Godhra, Gujarat in 2002 in which several people of the minority community were killed.

The Gujarat police arrested 85 people over a period of time but the trial commenced against 78 persons. The judgment in the case was pronounced last week after thirteen years of trial.