A special court in Jaipur sentenced four people to death on Friday, two days after holding them guilty of planting bombs at eight locations in the walled city in May 2008.
On Wednesday, the special court of judge Ajay Sharma had convicted four people for the worst terror attack in Jaipur: 71 people were killed in a series of nine bomb blasts that ripped through the Walled City on May 13, 2008.
The death sentence was given on charges of murder (section 302 of the IPC) and committing a terrorist act (section 16 1[A] of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act), said prosecution lawyer Shrichand, who doesn’t use a second name.
Police registered eight cases for eight locations. In case no. 2, Saif-ur-Rahman, 36, was found guilty of planting a bomb at Chhoti Chaupad and sentenced to death. In case no. 4, Mohammad Sarvar, 36, was held guilty of planting bomb at Chandpole Hanuman temple and sentenced to death. In case no. 5, Mohammad Saif, 32, has been sentenced to death for planting a bomb at Manak Chowk. In case No. 8, Salman, 34, has been found guilty of planting a bomb at Sanganeri Gate Hanuman temple, and been sentenced to death.
In the remaining cases — cases Nos. 1, 3, 6 and 7 — the accused are either absconding or were killed or in the custody of certain other state police force. The four convicted in Jaipur face charges of conspiracy (section 120B of IPC) in these four cases.
The four convicts were brought to the court around 3.25pm and were back in Jaipur central jail around 4.40pm after the sentencing.
Defence lawyer Packer Farrukh said he will challenge the decision in the upper court. “We are seeing for the first time that a court has announced death sentence on the basis of circumstantial evidence. We will file an appeal in the high court,” he said.
The public prosecutor also said he will file an appeal against the acquittal of the fifth accused, Shahbaz Hussain alias Shahbaz Ahmed alias Shanu. “I will also file an appeal against the acquittal of Shahbaz within three to four days of announcement of punishment,” Shrichand said.
Shahbaz, accused of sending an email on behalf of the Indian Mujahideen to claim responsibility for the blasts, was acquitted on Wednesday.
Jaipur police charged 13 people with the terror attack in four charge sheets, the first filed on November 9, 2008, and the last on February 16, 2011.
Three accused, Arif alias Junaid, Assadullah alias Haddi alias Daniel and Ahmed Siddique Bappa alias Yasin Bhatkal, were arrested by Delhi special cell and are presently lodged in Tihar jail. They are under judicial custody.
Three accused, Sajid Bada, Mohammad Khalid and Shadab alias Malik are absconding. Two accused, Mohammad Atif Ameen and Sajid Chota, were killed in the Batla House encounter of Delhi.
The eight locations targeted in the nine blasts were within a radius of 2km.
Nine ammonium nitrate bombs strapped to bicycles went off between 7.20pm and 7.45pm in the crowded areas. The bombs, wired to timing devices, were packed with metal splinters and ball bearings to maximise damage.
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