NEW DELHI – A special court that heard the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case awarded death to 38 of the 49 convicts under UAPA and 302 of the Indian Penal code (IPC). The rest 11 convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment till death.

All the convicts in the case belong to the Muslim community hailing from different states of the country. Reports suggest they are likely to challenge the verdict in higher courts.

With 49 people found guilty by the trial court in a single instance, this becomes the case with the highest number of convictions in the country’s history since Independence.

The total number of accused in the case were 78, but Special Judge AR Patel found 49 of them guilty under various offences including murder, sedition and waging war against the state under IPC, as well as offences under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substance Act.

On 26 July 2008, 22 bombs went off in the city of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat leaving 56 dead and as many as 200 others injured. Indian Mujahideen, an outfit unheard of till then, claimed responsibility for the blasts in emails sent to media houses. The police had recovered bombs from different locations in Surat after the blasts took place.

The Police had filed 35 FIRs in the case, but when an speedy trial began at the special court, these FIRs were merged into one.

The trial went on for 13 years, and the verdict was eventually passed on 8 February declaring 28 of the 78 accused acquitted.  11 of those acquitted are already out on bail while 17 others are behind bars facing other criminal cases.