Stories
SC Stays Execution of IM Operative's Death Penalty in 2008 Ahmedabad Blasts
N
News18•01-10-2026, 12:15
SC Stays Execution of IM Operative's Death Penalty in 2008 Ahmedabad Blasts
- •The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of the death penalty for Ahmed Bawa alias Abbu Abubakar Barelvi, an Indian Mujahideen operative convicted in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts.
- •A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, AG Masih, and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Gujarat government and requested trial court records.
- •The 2008 Ahmedabad blasts killed 56 people and injured over 200, with explosions also targeting hospitals.
- •The Gujarat High Court had upheld the death sentences for 38 IM operatives and life imprisonment for 11 others, citing the "humongous" conspiracy and intent to spread terror.
- •The High Court noted the convicts' criminal antecedents, lack of remorse, and the scale of the "inhuman and dastardly act" as justifications for capital punishment.
Key Questions Answered
The Supreme Court stayed the execution of the death penalty of Ahmed Bawa alias Abbu Abubakar Barelvi, an Indian Mujahideen operative, after issuing a notice to the Gujarat government on his plea against the high court verdict and calling for the trial court records.
The high court cited the large number of casualties, the humongous nature of the conspiracy, the intention to spread widespread terror, the scale of the attack, and the lack of remorse among the convicts as key reasons for upholding the capital punishment.
The court directed the Gujarat government to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed and Rs 5 lakh to the grievously injured before March 30, 2027.
