Patna, Feb 11 (IANS): Special NIA court has sentenced 10 years of rigorous imprisonment to an accused involved in 2018 Bodh Gaya serial blast.

The ninth accused Jahid-ul-Islam, Bangladeshi national, involved in the blast has filed an application in NIA court and confessed the crime. Special Justice of the NIA court, Gurvinder Singh on Friday sentenced 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and Rs 38,000 fine.

The NIA court has already announced the quantum of punishment to the other eight accused on December 26, 2021. Three of them were awarded life imprisonment and remaining five are given 10 years rigorous imprisonment.

The Maha Bodhi temple blast in Bodh Gaya took place on January 19, 2018, a few hours after the Tibet spiritual leader Dalai Lama left the Buddhist pilgrim city after after delivering a sermon.

Five people including two monks were injured in the blast.

The accused were held guilty on December 10, 2021 and the quantum of punishment was announced on December 17, 2021.

The accused had used Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the blast.

The accused belong to Jamaat-Ul-Mujahideen, a Bangladesh based militant organisation, which is active near Indo-Bangladesh border.