JAIPUR: Four men convicted for the serial blasts that killed over 70 people in the Pink City in 2008 have been sentenced to death by a special court in Jaipur on Friday. The court rewarded capital punishment to Mohammad Saif, Mohammad Sarwar, Saifur Rehman and Mohammad Salman under different sections of the IPC including murder, treason, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Explosives Substances Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. All the four have been found guilty of planting the bombs that rocked Jaipur 11 years ago.
The arguments of the defence and prosecution sides had concluded on Thursday. While the defence side had appealed to the court to be lenient towards the culprits, the prosecution had demanded the death penalty for them. But on Friday afternoon, when the special court in Jaipur pronounced the death sentence for all 4 convicts, the sentence led to loud slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ by the crowd in the court premises.
On Wednesday, the court had convicted Mohammad Saif, Mohammad Sarwar Azmi, Mohammad Salman and Saifur Rehman. However, a fifth accused, Shahbaz Hussain, was acquitted with the court giving him the benefit of the doubt. Shahbaz Hussain, a resident of Lucknow, was accused of sending emails to the police claiming responsibility for the blasts on behalf of the Indian Mujahideen. But the allegation could not be proved and he was acquitted.
Apart from these five, two accused were killed in the Batla House encounter in Delhi in the same year and three others are still absconding.
On May 13, 2008 eight blasts had ripped through Jaipur within 15 minutes at Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupar, Tripolia Bazaar, Johari Bazaar and Sanganeri Gate areas of the busy Walled City. In the serial blasts within a two-kilometre radius, 71 people were killed and 185 others were injured in the worst terror strike that Jaipur has ever seen.