Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has upheld the special court's verdict in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case, confirming the death sentences awarded to 38 convicts and life imprisonment for 11 others linked to the terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen. The coordinated terror attacks claimed 56 lives. The High Court also directed the state government to pay compensation of ?10 lakh to the families of those killed and ?5 lakh to seriously injured victims by March 30, 2027. A division bench comprising Justice A.Y. Kogje and Justice Sameer Dave dismissed all appeals filed by the convicts.
Families of the victims welcomed the High Court's verdict, saying they were satisfied with the decision but hoped the sentences would now be carried out without further delay so that they could finally receive "complete justice."
Eyewitnesses and survivors recalled the horrific scenes that followed the explosions. One survivor said that after the blast at the Civil Hospital 18 years ago, he saw people "burning like candles" and bodies hanging from trees due to the impact of the explosion.
It may be recalled that on July 26, 2008, 21 bomb blasts occurred across different parts of Ahmedabad within a span of just 70 minutes. The attacks killed 56 people and injured more than 200 others. Hospitals in the city were also targeted. The Gujarat High Court upheld the 2022 special court judgment that sentenced 38 members of the Indian Mujahideen to death and 11 others to life imprisonment for their role in the coordinated bombings.
The division bench of Justice A.Y. Kogje and Justice Sameer Dave rejected all appeals challenging the special court's verdict and affirmed the sentences.
Speaking after the High Court's decision, Alpeshkumar Shah, who lost his brother Chirag Shah in one of the blasts in Ahmedabad's Maninagar area, said, "Terrorists have no humanity, and they should not benefit from prolonged legal proceedings. We feel the same sense of relief today as we did in 2022 when the special court awarded the death penalty to 38 convicts."
Eyewitnesses and survivors also recounted the terrifying scenes following one of the explosions at the Civil Hospital in Asarwa. Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) worker Laxman Chudasama said he was transporting injured victims to the hospital when another explosion occurred.
He said, "As a VHP worker, I was taking the injured to Asarwa Civil Hospital. As soon as I reached and parked the ambulance, a blast occurred." Chudasama suffered severe burns to his hair and sustained serious injuries to his hands and legs.