SC To Hear Plea Challenging Acquittal Of 4 Accused In 2008 Jaipur Serial Bomb Blasts Today

The Supreme Court will on Wednesday hear a plea filed by relatives of victims of Jaipur serial blasts against the Rajasthan HC's order acquitting four accused in the case.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear a petition challenging the Rajasthan High Court's order acquitting four accused in the 2008 Jaipur serial blasts case. The Rajasthan HC in March this year had acquitted the four accused in the case after which the victims' families appealed to the apex court which agreed to hear the plea. The Rajasthan government had on April 25 filed an appeal challenging the high court verdict in the case too, reported PTI.

A bench comprising Justices AS Oka and Rajesh Bindal allowed the application filed by the victims seeking permission to file the petition and posted the same next week to be considered along with the special leave petition which is filed by the State.

A series of blasts had rocked Jaipur on May 13, 2008, when bombs went off one after another at Manak Chawk Khanda, Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupad, Tripolia Gate, Johri Bazar and Sanganeri Gate. The serial explosions left 71 people dead and 185 injured, stated PTI in its report.

Four people, Mohammad Saif, Mohammad Salman, Saifur and Mohammad Sarvar Azmi were awarded the death penalty in December 2019 for their involvement in the case while a fifth accused, Shahbaz Hussain, was acquitted.

Then on March 29 this year, according to PTI, the Rajasthan HC set aside the lower court verdict awarding the death penalty to four accused in the case and slammed the probe agencies over their “shoddy investigation”. The court had also affirmed the acquittal of a fifth accused by the trial court.

Blasts Near Golden Temple In Amritsar

Recently, three low-intensity blasts took place near Golden Temple in Amritsar scaring people while agencies rushed to probe the case. The Punjab Police said that the loud sound heard near Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas, in the vicinity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar was the result of a low-intensity explosion, five accused were arrested in this regard. The sound was heard around 12.15-12.30 am, the police informed. Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas is the oldest 'sarai' (lodge), as per news agency ANI. Punjab Police personnel and forensic team members rushed to the site of the incident after the blast was reported.

In a press conference, he revealed the names of the accused being Azadvir Singh, Amreek Singh, Sahib Singh, Harjeet Singh, and Dharmendra Singh. "Of them, three were involved in the sourcing of the explosives. One woman is also being questioned," the Punjab top cop said, as per ANI.

He informed that out of the five arrested accused, Azadvir Singh and Amreek Singh are the main perpetrators while Sahib Singh, Harjeet Singh, and Dharmendra Singh were responsible for supplying the explosives. "1.1 kg of low-intensity explosives have been recovered from them. An SIT will be formed by the commissioner of Police to get to the bottom of it," Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav stated.