The Supreme Court is scheduled on May 17 to hear an appeal filed by the relatives of 2008 Jaipur serial blasts’ victims against a Rajasthan High Court decision to acquit four men who were on death row.
Mohammad Saif, Mohammad Salman, Saifur and Mohammad Sarvar Azmi were awarded death penalty in December 2019. A fifth accused, Shahbaz Hussain, had been acquitted.
The Rajasthan government too has filed an appeal challenging the High Court verdict in the case.
Jaipur was rocked by a series of blasts on May 13, 2008 when bombs went off one after another at Manak Chawk Khanda, Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupad, Tripolia Gate, Johri Bazar and Sanganeri Gate. The explosions left 71 people dead and 185 injured.
The High Court on March 29 had set aside the lower court verdict awarding death penalty to four accused in the case and slammed the probe agencies over their “shoddy investigation”.
The court had also affirmed the acquittal of a fifth accused by the trial court.
‘Shoddy probe’
It had blamed the investigating agencies for a shoddy investigation, and even directed the Rajasthan’s police chief to take action against the probe officers.
“We hold the investigating agency in the given case should be made responsible/accountable for their negligent, cursory, and inefficient actions,” the High Court said in its verdict.
The High Court had said that it is difficult to hold that the prosecution had proved the guilt of the accused by adducing cogent and clinching evidence.
