LUCKNOW: A Jaunpur court on Friday convicted two HuJI operatives in connection with the 2005 Shramjeevi Express blast that left 14 passengers dead and 62 others injured. Hilal, alias Hilaluddin, a native of Bangladesh and Nafikul Biswas of West Bengal have been convicted for executing terror blast in the Delhi-bound Shramjeevi Express on July 28, 2005 near Harpalganj crossing in Jaunpur district.
While Hilal has been convicted for hatching the conspiracy and planting the bomb in the Express train, Biswas faces conviction for executing the blast. The court of Additional Sessions Judge I Rajesh Rai convicted both the terror accused in their 50s, who were found to be active operatives of terror group Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami.
The court posted the matter for January 2, 2024 for the pronouncement of the quantum of punishment.
According to Jaunpur’s District Government Counsel (criminal) Satish Kumar Pandey, the court held both Hilal and Nafikul guilty under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 149 (offence committed by the members of unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 3 Explosive Act and 14 Foreign Act after examining 43 prosecution witnesses.