Ankita Singh
Published On: February 08, 2022 at 17:17 IST
After a Trial that lasted almost 13 years, a Special Court has delivered its verdict convicting 49 people in the 2008 serial blasts case, an incident that shook the city of Ahmedabad leaving 56 dead and 200 injured. As many as 77 accused faced Trial out of which 28 were acquitted.
The quantum of punishment will be delivered on Wednesday by the Special Court.
According to Gujarat Police, people associated with banned terror outfit Indian Mujahedeen (IM), part of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were responsible for carrying out the serial blasts, after which the police busted a nationwide network of radical elements.
The terrorists associated with IM allegedly executed the serial blasts in retaliation to the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat.
In the beginning of the Trial a total of 35 cases were consolidated into one case. Apart from Ahmedabad where the blasts took place, FIRs were also filed in Surat where the police recovered several explosives from different locations.
The Trial saw many highs and lows. Over 1,100 witnesses have been examined since 2009, which is when the Trial began. As many as 26 witnesses were marked as star witnesses. Their identity was concealed and the Court as well the prosecution took special measures to ensure their safety.
Four of the accused admitted their confessions in the crime and were treated as approvers they however asserted their retractions in the Court of Law at a later stage.
For a high profile case such as this the Trial initially took place inside the Sabarmati Central Jail pertaining to security concerns and the proceedings later were carried out mostly through video conferencing.
Also Read: 2002 GUJARAT RIOTS – INSIGHT