Ahmedabad blasts: Gujarat HC admits confirmation case against 38 given death penalty

As per section 366 of the CrPC, a death sentence is not carried out unless it is confirmed by a HC in case the sentence is awarded by a sessions court.In February this year, a special court in Ahmedabad had sentenced 38 accused to death and 11 others to life imprisonment for the serial blasts, in which 59 people were killed and over 200 others injured.On July 26, 2008, as many as 22 bomb blasts had rocked Ahmedabad city.

The Gujarat High Court on Thursday admitted a case of confirmation of the death sentence handed down to 38 convicts in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts and called for relevant documents from the trial court.

A division bench of Justices Vipul Pancholi and Sandeep Bhatt admitted the case of confirmation of the order of death sentence to the 38 convicts under section 366 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

As many as 15 of the 38 convicts appeared through their lawyers in response to notices issued on March 9. Their lawyer said they were preparing to challenge their conviction in the HC and an appeal is likely to be filed within the next 15-20 days.

The state government had moved a criminal confirmation case in the HC under the CrPC for convicts who received the death sentence. As per section 366 of the CrPC, a death sentence is not carried out unless it is confirmed by a HC in case the sentence is awarded by a sessions court.

In February this year, a special court in Ahmedabad had sentenced 38 accused to death and 11 others to life imprisonment for the serial blasts, in which 59 people were killed and over 200 others injured.

On July 26, 2008, as many as 22 bomb blasts had rocked Ahmedabad city. The police had claimed people associated with the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM), a faction of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), were involved in the bombings.

The trial court had convicted 49 accused under section 16 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which deals with terrorist acts, along with other relevant provisions of the law, as well as sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. As many as 28 accused were acquitted.

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