Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Jul 7: The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentences awarded to 38 convicts and confirmed life imprisonment for 11 others in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case, affirming the verdict delivered by the special trial court in one of India's biggest terror prosecutions.
Following the judgment, Special Public Prosecutor Amit Patel said the appeals had been heard continuously since March 2025 before a Division Bench delivered its verdict.
Patel noted that the detailed judgment was yet to be uploaded and said a comprehensive assessment would be possible only after examining the complete order.
According to the prosecutor, the High Court confirmed the capital punishment awarded to 38 convicts by the trial court and dismissed the appeals filed by the remaining 11 convicts, whose sentences of imprisonment for the remainder of their natural lives were also upheld.
The High Court also ordered enhanced compensation for victims of the blasts. Families of those who lost their lives will receive Rs 10 lakh, while those who suffered grievous injuries will be paid Rs 5 lakh. Victims who sustained simple injuries have been awarded Rs 1 lakh each.
The case stems from the coordinated serial bomb blasts that rocked Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, when 21 explosions ripped through buses, public locations and hospitals within a span of about 70 minutes.
The attacks claimed 56 lives and left more than 200 people injured, making it one of the deadliest terror strikes in the country's history.
Following an extensive investigation by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch and other agencies, a special court in February 2022 convicted 49 accused. Of them, 38 were sentenced to death, while 11 received imprisonment for the remainder of their natural lives.
The convicts subsequently challenged the verdict before the Gujarat High Court, while the state sought confirmation of the death sentences as mandated under law.
With Tuesday's ruling, the High Court has endorsed the findings and sentences handed down by the special court. The convicted persons, however, still have the legal option of filing an appeal before the Supreme Court.