Judgment on Jaipur Bombing Case Delayed Until April 4
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Synopsis
A special court in Jaipur has delayed the decision on the 2008 serial bomb blast case until April 4, as it prepares to rule on four accused individuals, with evidence and testimonies presented by both prosecution and defense.
Key Takeaways
- A special court in Jaipur has postponed the verdict of the 2008 bomb blast case.
- The ruling will now be delivered on April 4.
- 112 witness statements and extensive documentation were presented.
- Previous convictions in related cases have been overturned.
- Investigative lapses were highlighted in the High Court's recent ruling.
Jaipur, March 29 (NationPress) A specialized court in Jaipur has postponed the ruling in the 2008 serial bomb blast case until April 4.
On May 13, 2008, a series of bomb blasts occurred in Jaipur, leading to numerous explosions.
The verdict, originally expected on Saturday, has been pushed back to April 4. The court will decide on the fate of four defendants. Among them, Saifurrahman and Mohammad Saif are currently held in Jaipur Central Jail, while Mohammad Sarwar Azmi and Shahbaz Ahmed are free on bail.
The prosecution has finalized its arguments in the case. Special prosecutor Shravan Kumar provided testimonies from 112 witnesses against the four defendants and presented around 1,200 documents as evidence.
Conversely, the defense, led by attorney Minhajul Haq, did not call any witnesses but submitted 122 documents in support of the defendants.
Judge Ramesh Kumar Joshi of the special court is expected to announce the verdict on April 4.
In relation to eight other cases tied to the Jaipur serial bomb blasts, the special court had previously sentenced the defendants to death approximately five and a half years ago.
Nonetheless, the accused appealed to the High Court, which subsequently acquitted them. The Rajasthan government has appealed this High Court decision to the Supreme Court, where the case is still pending.
On May 13, 2008, eight bomb blasts rocked the Chardiwari area of Jaipur. Almost 11 years later, on December 20, 2019, a special court condemned Saifurrahman, Mohammad Saif, Mohammad Sarwar Azmi, and another individual—later classified as a minor by the High Court—to death.
Another defendant, Shahbaz Ahmed, was acquitted.
Following this ruling, the ATS arrested the convicted individuals from jail on December 25, 2019, related to the live bomb case. However, on March 29, 2023, the High Court reversed the special court's decision, acquitting all defendants and highlighting investigative shortcomings.
The ATS subsequently filed a supplementary charge sheet, introducing three new witnesses. During the proceedings, the ATS recorded statements from 112 witnesses, including journalist Prashant Tandon, former ADG Arvind Kumar, and Dinesh Mahawar, which bolstered the case.
Defense attorney Minhajul Haq contended that no witness statements were recorded by the defense. He maintained that the facts of the live bomb case mirrored those in the eight blast cases, for which the High Court had already acquitted the accused.
He also emphasized that the prosecution failed to determine who placed the bicycle in front of the temple, a vital detail in the case.
