Gujarat Upholds Death Penalty For 38 Accused: What Happened On The Day Of 2008 Ahmedabad Serial Blasts
The Gujarat High Court has upheld the death sentence for 38 accused and life imprisonment for 11 others in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case. This judgement comes in a hearing of appeals against the February 2022 judgment of a special court that had described the case as falling under the “rarest of rare” category.
What Happened on the Day of the 2008 Ahmedabad Serial Blasts?
The Ahmedabad serial blasts are one of the deadliest terror attacks in India that were carried out on July 26, 2008. In this heinous terror attack, twenty-one bomb blasts ripped through different parts of the city within a period of 70 minutes, killing around 56 people and over 200 were injured.
Several explosions took place near hospitals, which made the attack particularly disturbing as emergency facilities treating victims were also targeted. According to the investigators, it was the first major terror strike in India that specifically included hospitals among the targets. Reports also claimed that emails were sent shortly before the explosions informing that the attacks were carried out in retaliation for the 2002 post-Godhra violence in Gujarat.
How the Ahmedabad Serial Blasts Case Investigation Unfolded?
The investigation was led jointly by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), and other agencies. Officials arrested suspects from multiple states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh.
According to investigators, the conspiracy was pieced together using a wide range of evidence. This included bicycles and cars used tStudents Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and claimed they later operated under the name Indian Mujahideen (IM).o plant explosives, mobile phones, SIM cards, emails, forensic reports, and witness testimonies. Police alleged that several accused of the case were linked to the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and claimed they later operated under the name Indian Mujahideen (IM).
2008 Ahmedabad Serial Blasts: Long Trial Led to Convictions
The case became one of the largest terror trials in India. It combined 35 separate cases, including 20 First Information Reports (FIRs) registered in Ahmedabad and 15 in Surat, where bombs were planted but failed to explode. The prosecution examined 1,163 witnesses before nine different judges during the lengthy trial. Among them were 26 protected witnesses whose identities were kept confidential for security reasons. Out of 77 people charged, the special court convicted 49 accused on February 8, 2022, while acquitting 28 due to insufficient evidence.
Charges and Court Findings
The convicted persons were found guilty under multiple laws, including the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substances Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The charges under these acts included murder, attempted murder, criminal conspiracy, terrorist activities, sedition, participation in unlawful activities, and attempting to wage war against the nation.
The special court awarded the death penalty to 38 convicts and life imprisonment to 11 others. It also directed compensation for the families of those who lost their lives and for the injured victims.
A division bench of Justice A.Y. Kogje and Justice S.J. Dave heard extensive arguments from both the defence and the state government before delivering the verdict. The High Court has now affirmed the special court’s findings, bringing another significant chapter in one of India’s most high-profile terror cases to a close.
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