The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentences awarded to 38 convicts in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case and confirmed life imprisonment for 11 others, affirming the February 2022 verdict of the Ahmedabad City Sessions Court. The judgment marks a major legal milestone in one of India’s deadliest terror cases, in which 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured.
Court Confirms Trial Court Verdict
The High Court delivered its decision while hearing the Gujarat government’s confirmation petition seeking approval of the death sentences. Such confirmation is mandatory before capital punishment can be executed.
The court also considered appeals filed by the convicted persons challenging their convictions and sentences. After examining the confirmation proceedings and the appeals together, the High Court upheld the findings of the trial court and the punishments imposed on the convicted persons.
Blasts Hit Ahmedabad in 2008
The case relates to the coordinated serial bomb blasts that struck Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008. Within a short span of time, 21 explosions occurred at 20 locations across the city.
The attacks killed 56 people and injured more than 200 others. The blasts triggered one of the country’s largest terror investigations and led to a long criminal trial that began after charges were framed against 78 accused in 2009.
Large Trial Record and Multiple Appeals
The Ahmedabad City Sessions Court delivered its verdict on February 18, 2022, after nearly 13 years of proceedings. Of those who stood trial, 49 were convicted. The trial court sentenced 38 convicts to death and awarded life imprisonment to 11 others, while acquitting 29 accused for lack of sufficient evidence.
According to court records, investigators initially identified 99 suspected terrorists, while 82 were eventually arrested. The prosecution produced nearly 6,000 documentary and material exhibits and examined 1,163 witnesses. With the High Court confirming the trial court’s judgment, the convictions and sentences remain in force, though the convicts may pursue further legal remedies before the Supreme Court.
