Ahmedabad: Their lives changed in 70 minutes on July 26, 2008. Their wait for justice has stretched across nearly 18 years. As Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the sentences awarded to 49 persons convicted in the Ahmedabad serial blasts case, families of the victims described the judgement as a significant victory, but not the end of their fight. They believe “complete justice” will be delivered only when the case is finally concluded and the sentences are carried out swiftly.HC upheld the 2022 judgement of the special court, which had awarded the death penalty to 38 members of the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen and life imprisonment to 11 others for their role in the coordinated bomb blasts across Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008.A division bench of Justices A Y Kogje and Samir Dave dismissed all appeals filed by the convicts and confirmed the sentences awarded by the trial court.On July 26, 2008, 21 bombs exploded across Ahmedabad within 70 minutes, killing 56 people and injuring more than 200. Several of the explosions targeted hospitals, where relatives, volunteers, and medical staff had gathered to treat victims of the earlier blasts.For many families, the verdict revived painful memories.Alpeshkumar Shah, who lost his brother, Chirag, in a blast in Maninagar, said the family was relieved that HC had upheld the trial court’s decision but hoped the legal process would now conclude without further delay.Shah recalled that Chirag had stopped for tea near Maninagar Crossroads when a bomb concealed inside a tiffin box and placed on a bicycle exploded.“Terrorists have no humanity. They should not benefit from prolonged trials. We are satisfied with the verdict, but justice should not take decades. We only hope the sentences are carried out swiftly,” he said.Another victim’s family described the prolonged legal process as deeply exhausting.Jagdish Antani, a Vadodara resident whose brother-in-law, Himanshu Chhaya, was killed in the blast inside a bus near Sarkhej, said the family had already waited too long.“It took around 14 years for the special court to deliver its verdict in 2022, and four more years for the high court to decide the appeals. God knows how many more years it will take before the legal process is finally over. Where is justice?” the 80-year-old asked.Speaking on behalf of his wife Rohini, 79, who has Parkinson’s disease, he said she had raised her younger brother from the age of three after their father died.“He was only 45. No one can imagine the pain she has carried after losing him,” he said.Survivors who witnessed the explosions at the Civil Hospital in Asarwa also recounted the horror they experienced that evening.Laxman Chudasama, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad worker who had rushed injured victims to the hospital, said another bomb exploded shortly after he parked the ambulance.“It was a horrifying scene. People were burning like candles around me. I even saw bodies hanging from trees because of the force of the blast,” the 71-year-old recalled.He suffered severe burns and injuries to his hands and legs and remained hospitalised for nearly a month. He later became a prosecution witness in the case.Praising the investigation, he said Ahmedabad crime branch had tracked down the accused quickly, and that HC verdict would send a strong message against terrorism.Another survivor, Narendra Parmar, said he had gone to drop his daughter, then a nursing student, when he saw ambulances bringing blast victims to the Civil Hospital. As he joined others in shifting the injured on stretchers, another explosion ripped through the area.“I found myself lying in a pool of blood. Despite my injuries, I somehow managed to run out before someone helped me reach home,” the 74-year-old said. He later underwent chest surgery and said he continues to suffer occasional pain from the injuries sustained in the blast.(With PTI inputs)
