Indian court sentences 38 Muslims to death for 2008 bomb blasts

An Indian court sentenced to death 38 Muslims on Friday who were allegedly involved in the Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts, which took place in 2008. The court has ordered ‘prison in life’ to the other 11 convicts as well. Ahmedabad city is the commercial hub of the Indian state, Gujarat.

Judge A R Patel announced the verdict and described the incident as a “rarest of rare case” in which innocent people were killed.

More than 50 people were killed and 200 wounded in the deadly bomb blasts in 2008.

Around 20 bombs were exploded within one hour across various public places including residential areas, market places, public transport, and hospitals in Ahmedabad.

An Indian Muslim group, Indian Mujahideen, had claimed responsibility for the attacks on July 26, 2008.

However, a defence lawyer said, “We had sought lenient sentences for the convicts as they have already spent more than 13 years in prison. But the court awarded death to the majority of them. We will definitely go for appeal.”

The Ahmedabad attacks were said to be in retaliation to the religious riots in which thousands of Muslims were brutally killed in 2002 in Gujarat state. Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.