On Wednesday, the Special Court convicted four, out of five accused in the 2008 Jaipur bomb blasts case, for their involvement in serial bomb blasts which rocked Jaipur on May 13, 2008 at eight places in the walled city, killing 71 people and injuring 185.
The court convicted Mohammad Saif, Sahfarrahman, Sarwar Azmi and Mohammad Salman under different sections including murder, treason, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Explosives Act, while one accused Shahbaz has been acquitted for lack of evidence by judge Ajay Kumar Sharma.
On Thursday, Judge Ajay Kumar Sharma, heard the arguments of the defence and the prosecution side.
While the defence side appealed to the court to be lenient towards the culprits, the prosecution demanded death penalty for them. During argument, all 4 convicts were produced before the court amidst tight security.
The discussion was initiated by defence side represented by lawyer Paikar Farooq who said that all four convicts have already spent 11 years in jail. They all belong to decent families and hence they should be given leniency in crime.
Countering the argument, special public prosecutor Shri Chand said that the convicted terrorists have been involved in Surat and Delhi blasts as well and hence should be hanged to death.
Taking up the case of one of the convicts - Mohammad Saif, the defence counsel said that he comes from a decent background and has no history of crime. He has already spent 11 years in jail and has been a student of MA final. He should be given leniency in punishment.
For another convict Sarwar Aazmi, the counsel said that his father and brother are doctors and he has also spent 11 years in jail and should be given a breather as he has no crime history.
For Saiffurahman, the lawyers demanded leniency on the grounds that he was a juvenile at the time of commission of crime. However, the court said that he has been termed adult by a Delhi court.
On May 13, eight blasts rocked Jaipur at Chandpol Gate, Badi Chaupad, Triploya Bazaar, Jauhari Bazaar and Sanganeri Gate within 12-15 minutes.
Police had earlier held 13 accused in the case. While five of them are languishing in Jaipur Central Jail, three are absconding, three accused are in Hyderabad jail and the rest three are in Delhi Jail. Two of them have been shot dead in Batla House encounter.
Those who died in Batla House encounter are Ateef Ameen and Chhota Sajeed while those absconding include Mirza Shadab, Sajeed Bada and Mohammad Khaleed.
Meanwhile, the court held Indian Mujahideen responsible for the blasts. The two terrorists who died in encounter were also held convicted and one of them Ateef Ameen was termed mastermind for planning blasts in Jaipur.
The Court said that the bombs were planted at different locations with a jihadi mindset which did not stop in Jaipur but also spread to Ahmedabad and Delhi.
( With inputs from IANS )