Ahmedabad blasts: Gujarat HC upholds death penalty for 38 convicts; prosecutor says appeals dismissed after day-to-day hearings (Ld)

Ahmedabad, July 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentences awarded to 38 convicts and life imprisonment to 11 others in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case, bringing to a close the appeals arising from one of India's longest and most significant terrorism trials.

Speaking after the verdict, Special Public Prosecutor Amit Patel said the appeals had been heard on a day-to-day basis since March 2025 before the Division Bench delivered its judgment.

"The hearing in this case had been going on since March 2025 on a day-to-day basis. Today, the Division Bench of the Honourable Gujarat High Court delivered its judgment," Patel said.

He said the detailed judgment had not yet been uploaded and that he would be able to comment further only after examining the complete order.

"As of now, the detailed judgment has not been uploaded, so I have not had the opportunity to read it. I will be able to comment on it in detail only after going through the full text of the judgment," he said.

Patel said the High Court had confirmed the trial court's award of capital punishment to 38 convicts and rejected the appeals filed by the remaining 11 convicts who had been sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of their natural lives.

"The Honourable Gujarat High Court has upheld the death sentences awarded by the trial court to 38 convicts. It has also dismissed the appeals of the 11 convicts who had been sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of their natural lives instead of the death penalty," he said.

On compensation, Patel said the court had directed payment of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed, Rs five lakh to victims who suffered grievous injuries and Rs one lakh to those who sustained simple injuries.

The case relates to the serial bomb blasts carried out across Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, when 21 explosions struck buses, public places and hospitals within about 70 minutes.

The attacks killed 56 people and injured more than 200. Following a lengthy investigation by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch and other agencies, a special court in February 2022 convicted 49 accused, sentencing 38 of them to death and 11 to imprisonment for the remainder of their natural lives.

The convicts challenged the verdict before the Gujarat High Court, while the state sought confirmation of the death sentences, as required under law.

With Tuesday's judgment, the High Court has affirmed the special court's findings. The convicts retain the right to challenge the verdict before the Supreme Court.

Source: IANS