On 20 December, a special court of Rajasthan headed by Judge Ajay Kumar Sharma sentenced the four convicts to the death penalty, who were involved in the 2008 Jaipur serial bomb blast.
The convicts Mohammed Saif (34), Mohammed Sarwar Azmi (36), Saifur Rehman (36) and Mohammed Salman (34) were engaged in a serial blast case that jolted Jaipur in May 2008, killing 71 and injuring 185 people. They placed eight-ammonium nitrate bombs to the bicycles, which went off within 20 minutes starting at Manak Chowk and followed by Hanuman temple in Chandpole, Hanuman temple in Sanganeri gate, Johri Bazar, Badi Chaupar, Choti Chaupar, Tripolia bazar, and Sargasuli in Jaipur.
The fifth accused, Shahbaaz Hussain (43) was acquitted on 18 December, due to lack of evidence. He was accused of sending an email and taking responsibility for the blasts, however, the prosecution failed to prove these allegations.
“We will challenge the sentence. This verdict is based on conjectures and surmises. There was no direct evidence and the circumstantial evidence was not trustworthy,” said the defense lawyer Paker Farooq.
