'Will Challenge 2008 Ahmedabad Blast Sentencing,' Says Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Arshad Madani

Maulana Arshad Madani said that the decision of the special court is unbelievable and that they will go to the High Court against the punishment and continue the legal battle.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani

New Delhi: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani has said that the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case sentencing will be challenged. 38 convicts were sentenced to death by a special court, while 11 others were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Maulana Arshad Madani said that the decision of the special court is unbelievable, "we will go to the High Court against the punishment and continue the legal battle". He further added that eminent lawyers of the country will fight the legal battle to save the culprits from being hanged.

"We are sure that these people will get full justice from the High Court, in many cases, the guilty convicted by the lower courts have been acquitted by the High Court or Supreme Court," Madani said.

Giving the example of the 2002 Akshardham temple attack Maulana Madani said the lower court sentenced 3 including Mufti Abdul Qayyum to death and 4 were given life imprisonment which was then upheld by the Gujarat High Court. However, when the matter reached the Supreme Court, all the people were acquitted but the court reprimanded the Gujarat Police for plotting to falsely implicate innocent people in the bomb blasts.

He also said that he hopes to get relief in this matter and if the need be the case will go to the Supreme Court.

On 26 July 2008, 21 blasts took place one after the other within 70 minutes in Ahmedabad which killed 56 people and 200 people were injured. The court, in a judgment of over 7,000 pages, described the case as rare and sentenced 38 convicts to death, while 11 others were awarded life imprisonment till death. They were convicted under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 121 (a) (conspiracy to wage war or attempt to wage war against the nation) and 124 (a) (sedition) among others of the IPC, and 16(1)(a)(b) of the UAPA related to punishment for a terrorist act.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.85 lakh on each of the 48 convicts and Rs 2.88 lakh on another. Judge AR Patel also ordered compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to those killed in the blasts, Rs 50,000 each to those seriously injured, and Rs 25,000 each to those with minor injuries.