India / 4 convicted in 2008 Jaipur blasts that killed 80, 1 acquitted

Jaipur, Four persons have been convicted for the nine bombs blasts that ripped through Jaipur’s walled city in May 2008 that killed 71 people. Arguments on quantum of sentence will be held on Thursday, said prosecution counsel Shrichand.

The Jaipur court acquitted one person, Shahbaz Hussain alias Shahbaz Ahmed alias Shanu, who was accused of sending an email on behalf of the Indian Mujahideen that claimed responsibility for the deadly bomb blasts.

He was the first one to have been arrested four months after the blast and was alleged to have been an operative of the banned organization, Student Islamic Movement of India.

Shrichand said four others – Mohammad Saif, 32; Mohammad Sarvar, 36; Saif-Ur-Rahman alias Saif-ur-Rahman, 36; and Salman, 34 – have been held guilty of murder, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, conspiracy and under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Jaipur police charged 13 people with these crimes in four charge-sheets, the last filed in 2011. The charges were under section 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 427 (committing mischief and thereby causing damage), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, and under relevant sections of The Explosive Substances Act 1908, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

The accused had strapped the nine ammonium nitrate-based bombs to bicycles and timed them to go off within a span of 20 minutes between 7.20 pm and 7.45 pm. The explosives, wired to timing devices, were packed with metal splinters or ball bearings to maximize damage in crowded areas.

Trial in the eight cases – nine blasts occurred at eight locations – began in December 2008.

The eight locations targeted in the nine blasts – Manak Chowk police station, Badi Chaupad, Kotwali police station, Tripoliya Bazar, Chandpole Hanuman temple, National Handloom in Jauhari Bazar, Chhoti Chaupad and Sanganeri Gate Hanuman temple – were within a 2-km radius.

Senior police officer Pankaj Kumar Singh, who was the inspector general of police Jaipur range in May 2008, recalled the chaos in the minutes after the blast. “The night was hell,” Singh told.