Ahmedabad: Thirty-eight of the 49 convicted in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case have been sentenced to death. The sentence was handed down by a special court in Ahmedabad. Eleven were sentenced to life imprisonment. It is learned that three Malayalee accused were among those sentenced to death. One lakh rupees should be paid to the relatives of those killed in the blast. Special Judge A.R. said that Rs 50,000 should be paid to those who are seriously injured and Rs 25,000 to those who are injured. Patel pronounced the verdict.
This is the first time in independent India that so many people have been sentenced to death together. Of the 49 convicted, four are Malayalees. In this Shibili a. Kareem, Shaduli A. Kareem, b. Sharafuddin was sentenced to death and Mohammed Ansar Nadwi was sentenced to life imprisonment. Earlier, 28 accused, including three Malayalees, were acquitted. Defendants’ attorneys said they would appeal against the verdict.
The Gujarat Special Court on February 8 passed its verdict in the Ahmedabad serial blasts case after a 13-year trial. There were 77 accused in the serial blasts case. Of these, 28 were acquitted and released by a special court.
A series of bombings on July 26, 2008 killed at least 56 people and injured 200 others. The prosecution examined 1,100 witnesses in the case.
Police have identified the Indian Mujahideen as the mastermind behind the attacks. The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a crowd of 21 people. The blasts occurred within 70 minutes. Police later recovered and defused bombs from various parts of Surat following the Ahmedabad blasts.