New Delhi: A special court in Jaipur on Tuesday sentenced four convicts to life imprisonment in a 2008 bomb blast case, which shook the city as 71 lives were claimed by the brutal act. The four convicted in the case are Sarwar Azmi, Shahbaz Saifur Rehman and Mohammad Saif.
They were convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act by the court on April 4. The case dates back to May 13, 2008, relating to the recovery of an unexploded bomb planted in Chandpole.
Special court Judge Ramesh Kumar Joshi said that the convicts planted bombs in the city, noting that leniency cannot be considered in such a case.
Special Public Prosecutor Sagar Tiwari said the court observed that the crime is not against any individual, but it impacts the entire society and the country.
“It is a matter of national security and sovereignty. The court said that it is committed to give strict punishment to such criminals who are a threat to the security of the country. The court also said that it is necessary to respect the victims who suffered pain,” Tiwari told reporters.
Tiwari mentioned that a total of 112 witnesses registered their statement in the concerned case.
The special court dismissed the arguments made by defence counsel Minhajul Haq that the accused were serving jail term for the last 15 years. The defence counsel stressed that the High Court had acquitted the convicts in eight other cases.
The Jaipur bomb blast case witnessed eight bombs exploding in the Rajasthan capital city and one bomb was traced near Chandpole Bazar, though it was defused. Apart from 71 lives claimed in the horrendous incident, 180 other people suffered injuries.
The blasts were reported in the areas of Manak Chowk Khanda, Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupad, Tripolia Gate, Johri Bazar, and Sanganeri Gate.
In a separate case of the blasts, a court verdict in December 2019 awarded death penalty to Azmi, Saif, Rahman and Mohammad Salman while acquitting the another accused Shahbaz. The death row convicts challenged their punishment in the high court, which acquitted them on March 29, 2023 and confirmed the acquittal of Shahbaz.
(With inputs from news agency PTI)
