The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the special court’s verdict in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case, refusing to grant relief to the convicted accused in one of India’s deadliest terror attacks.
A division bench confirmed the convictions and declined to interfere with the death sentences awarded to 38 convicts as well as the life imprisonment handed to 11 others. The court also directed the Gujarat government to pay compensation to the victims and their families.
Under the compensation order, the families of those killed will receive ₹10 lakh each, while victims who suffered grievous injuries will be paid ₹5 lakh each. Those who sustained minor injuries will receive ₹1 lakh. The court directed the state government to ensure the compensation is disbursed by March 31, 2027.
The case stems from the serial bomb blasts that struck Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, when 21 coordinated explosions ripped through the city within just 70 minutes. The blasts targeted crowded public places as well as hospital premises, killing 56 people and injuring more than 200 others.
The attacks triggered widespread panic and marked one of the most devastating terror incidents in the country.
Investigators later alleged that the attacks were carried out in retaliation for the 2002 post-Godhra communal violence in Gujarat.
Emails sent by the accused claiming responsibility for the bombings described the blasts as an act of revenge. The Ahmedabad blasts were also among the first terror attacks in India to deliberately target hospitals, where additional explosives were planted to inflict further casualties as victims were being rushed for treatment.
In February 2022, a special court convicted 49 accused in the case while acquitting 28 others.
Among those acquitted were Mubin Shaikh and Mansoor Peerbhoy, who had been accused of conspiracy and sending threatening emails claiming responsibility for the attacks. The trial court had granted pardon to one approver, while four other approvers who later retracted their statements were convicted.
The investigation was one of the largest terror probes undertaken in the country. Authorities registered 35 FIRs and filed 548 charge sheets during the course of the investigation. During the trial, the prosecution relied on more than 6,000 documentary and material exhibits, while testimonies of 1,163 witnesses were recorded before the special court.
With the High Court upholding the convictions and sentences, the judgment marks another significant milestone in the nearly 18-year-long legal battle arising from the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts.
