(Image source from: Indianexpress.com)

A special court in Gujarat recently announced the judgment in the Ahmedabad serial blasts case that took place in 2008. 49 among the accused have been announced convicted by the court. 56 people were killed in the blasts and more than 200 people got injured. 38 out of the 49 convicts have been awarded death sentences. The remaining 11 have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The Special Court announced the sentence on February 8th and the trial was reserved for February 18th. A R Patel, the Special judge announced the details. Defence lawyers said that the death penalty for 38 is the highest in any single case in India.

A TADA Court in 1998 sentenced death for 26 accused in the assassination case of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The sentencing of the order was not kept on the public domain. The Ahmedabad blasts were planned as a revenge for the post-Godhra riots case in 2002. The accused tried to target the elected leaders during those days. The prosecution said "The accused are not even required to be kept in the country's jail and if kept in the society, it will be equivalent to lose man-eating leopard". Safdar Nagori, leader of the banned SIMI who was sentenced life imprisonment in Indore in 2017 got death penalty. Abu Bakar has also been convicted in the Vagamon case in Kerala.