Death penalty for 4 convicted in 2008 Jaipur serial bomb blasts

Apart from the four convicted in the 2008 serial blasts, that killed 71 and injured 185 people, two others accused were killed in the Batla House encounter and five others are still absconding.

Police van carrying the accused in the 2008 Jaipur serial bomb blast arrives at court, in Jaipur, Friday, Dec. 20, 2019. The court pronounced its verdict giving the four convicts death penalty while one was acquitted. | PTI

Jaipur: A special court here on Friday awarded death penalty to four convicts for the 2008 Jaipur serial bomb blasts that had left 71 dead and 185 injured.

Magistrate Ajay Kumar Sharma pronounced the quantum of punishment amid tight security arrangements in the court.

“The court awarded death penalty to four convicts under IPC section 302 (punishment for murder) for planting bombs at different places,” Public Prosecutor Sri Chand told reporters.

On Wednesday, the court had convicted Mohammad Saif, Mohammad Sarwar Azmi, Mohammad Salman and Saifurrehman. Another accused, Shahbaz Hussain, was acquitted with the court giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The serial blasts rocked Jaipur on the evening of May 13, 2008 within a two-kilometre radius in the walled city, popular also with tourists.

Shahbaz Hussain, a resident of Lucknow, was accused of sending emails to the police claiming responsibility for the blasts on behalf of the Indian Mujahideen. But the allegation could not be proved and he was acquitted.

Apart from these five, two accused were killed in the Batla House encounter in Delhi in the same year and five others are still absconding.