38 convicts in Ahmedabad blasts case sentenced to death, 11 get life in jail: Report

A special court in Gujarat on Friday sentenced to death 38 of the 49 convicts in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case. The remaining 11 convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment, reported news agency ANI.

Among those awarded death sentence was the key accused Safdar Nagori, former general secretary of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Some of the other convicts were Imran Ibrahim Sheikh, Iqbal Qasam Sheikh, Shamsuddin Shaikh, Gyasuddin Ansari, Javed Ahmed Shaikh, Md Usman Agarbattiwala and Ziaur Rahman.

The convicts had joined the proceedings through video conference from jails in Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Gaya, Bengaluru and other parts of the country. The convicts were awarded punishment by special judge AR Patel.

On February 8, the court had convicted them for the serial blasts that took place on July 26, 2008, in the city claiming 56 lives and leaving over 200 persons injured. As many as 28 other accused were acquitted in the case as the court decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Also read | 2008 Ahmedabad blast investigations that unravelled Indian Mujahideen

All the 49 were convicted under Section 16 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act which deals with terrorism, as well as IPC sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy).

They were also convicted under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 121-A (conspiracy to wage war or attempt to wage war against the nation) and 124-A (sedition) as well as Explosive Substances Act and Damage to Public Property Act.

As many as 20 bombs went off in different areas of Ahmedabad within a span of 70 minutes on July 26, 2008. The Islamic terror group, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, had claimed responsibility for the attacks

Police had said members of the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) were involved in the blasts. The IM terrorists had planned the blasts as a revenge for the 2002 post-Godhra riots, police said.

(With agency inputs)