Stories
SC Stays Execution of Terror Operative in 2008 Ahmedabad Blasts Case, Issues Notice to Gujarat Govt
- •The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of Indian Mujahideen operative Ahmed Bawa alias Abbu Abubakar Barelvi, convicted in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case that killed 56 people.
- •A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, AG Masih, and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Gujarat government on Bawa’s plea challenging the High Court verdict that upheld his death sentence.
- •The High Court had previously upheld death sentences for 38 IM operatives, citing the high casualties, humongous conspiracy, and intent to spread terror.
- •The 2008 Ahmedabad blasts involved 21 explosions over 70 minutes, killing 56 and injuring over 200, notably targeting hospitals—a first in India.
- •The High Court had confirmed the special court's February 2022 verdict, which sentenced 38 IM members to death and 11 others to life imprisonment, based on their criminal antecedents and roles in the terrorist act.
Key Questions Answered
The Supreme Court stayed the execution of the death sentence awarded to Indian Mujahideen operative Ahmed Bawa alias Abbu Abubakar Barelvi in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, AG Masih, and Sandeep Mehta also issued a notice to the Gujarat government and called for the trial court records.
The Gujarat High Court upheld the death sentences of 38 Indian Mujahideen operatives by citing the high number of casualties, the humongous conspiracy, the intention to spread widespread terror, the scale of the conspiracy, and the loss of innocent lives in the inhuman and dastardly act. The court noted that the convicts showed no remorse and that their criminal antecedents warranted the capital punishment.
The Gujarat government was directed to provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed and Rs 5 lakh to those who suffered grievous injuries in the 2008 blasts. This compensation must be paid before March 30, 2027.
