A special court in Ahmedabad on Friday pronounced death sentence to 38 out of 49 convicts and 11 convicts have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
The court had on February 8 convicted 49 people over the coordinated attacks that killed 56 people as shrapnel ripped through markets, buses and other public places in Ahmedabad.
The court sentenced 38 of the 49 convicts to death under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. The 11 others were sentenced to life in jail till death. Judge A R Patel also awarded compensation of ₹one lakh each to those killed in the blasts, and ₹50,000 for each victim with serious injuries and ₹25,000 each for those with minor ones.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹2.85 lakh each on the 48 convicts. Patel had on February 8 declared 49 of the total 78 accused as guilty under various offences of the Indian Penal Code, including for murder, sedition and waging war against the state, as well as under offences of the UAPA and Explosive Substances Act.
Bombs went off in Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, at various spots including the state government-run civil hospital, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation-run LG Hospital, on buses, parked bicycles, in cars and other places, killing 56 persons.
Within a span of 70 minutes as many as 21 bomb blasts had taken place in Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008.
The terror attack had led to the death of 56 people who were killed at various places in the city due to the bomb blasts and over 200 people were also injured.
The Islamic terror group, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, had claimed responsibility for the attacks.
