AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Tuesday upheld a special court verdict condemning 38 persons to death sentence and awarding life imprisonment to 11 others in connection with the 2008 serial blasts case in which 56 persons were killed and 246 others sustained injuries.HC ordered the state government to pay compensation for victims – Rs 10 lakh for death, Rs 5 lakh for grievous injuries,and Rs 1 lakh for simple injuries. The payment is ordered to be paid till March 31, 2027.Several blasts took place across the city of Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008 and bombs were found two days later in Surat. The city crime branch investigation named over 100 persons accused of the crime, and 78 persons were put on a trial. In February 2022, a special court found 49 persons guilty and acquitted 28 others. Among those acquitted were Mubin Shaikh and Mansur Pirbhoy, who were accused of hatching conspiracy and of sending threat mails and claiming responsibility for the terror strike. The trial court had pardoned one approver, whereas four other approvers, who later retracted their statements, were convicted.The 2008 blasts were the first strike on hospitals, and e-mails sent by the accused claimed that they were part of their revenge for the 2002 post-Godhra violence in Gujarat. The bench of Justice AY Kogje and Justice SJ Dave heard the appeals against the special court’s February 8, 2022 order running into 7,015 pages. HC also heard the state government’s petition for confirmation of death sentence for 38 convicts.The trial had been conducted after merging 35 different cases, 20 FIRs lodged in Ahmedabad for the blasts, and 15 in Surat, where bombs did not go off. Those convicted in the case got harsh punishment under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and IPC, Explosive Substances Act etc.Among the 49 convicts are former leader of the banned outfit Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Safdar Nagori, and his associates from 11 states including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh. Police claimed that the accused had formed a new outfit and named it Indian Mujahideen (IM).The trial court had convicted them under IPC charges, Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA), Explosive Substance Act and Damage to Public Property Act. All 49 persons have been held guilty of charges like murder, attempt to commit murder, criminal conspiracy, attempting to wage war against the nation, sedition, for participation in unlawful activities and terrorist activity.During the trial, the prosecution had examined 1,163 witnesses in this case before nine different judges in the long trial. There were 26 star witnesses, whose identities were concealed for their safety.
