Indian court sentences 38 to death over 2008 bombings in Gujarat

A court in India on Friday sentenced 38 people to death and 11 others to life imprisonment for their role in a string of bombings that killed 56 people in the western state of Gujarat in 2008.

As many as 21 bombs went off within 70 minutes at various locations — including two hospitals — in Ahmedabad, the main city in Gujarat, on July 26, 2008. More than 200 people sustained serious injuries.

A special court in Ahmedabad convicted the accused on murder and terrorism charges earlier this week.

Judge A R Patel noted that the case was “rarest of the rare”, while sentencing 38 of those convicted to death.

The court acquitted 28 of the 77 people who faced trial, due to a lack of evidence.

More than 1,100 witnesses were called — including 26 star witnesses given police protection.

The bombs were placed in tiffin boxes planted on buses, parked bicycles and in cars. One of the bombs went off at the trauma centre of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, as victims of the initial blasts were being admitted.

Extremist group Harkat Ul Jihad Al Islami claimed responsibility for the bombings.

Judge A R Patel awarded a compensation of 100,000 rupees ($1,336) to the families of those killed in the bombings and 50,000 rupees for those who suffered serious injury.

The judgment surpasses the previous record number of death sentences handed down by a court in a single trial.

A court had previously sentenced 26 people to death over the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was killed in a suicide bombing in 1991.

No executions were carried out on that occasion. Most of the death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.