India’s Supreme Court pauses execution in 2008 Ahmedabad blasts case
India’s Supreme Court has stayed the execution of Ahmed Bawa, an Indian Mujahideen operative sentenced to death over the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bombings. The court has sought trial records and notified Gujarat after the High Court upheld his sentence in a case that killed 56 people and injured more than 200.
India’s Supreme Court has stayed the execution of Ahmed Bawa, an Indian Mujahideen operative sentenced to death over the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bombings. A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, A.G. Masih and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Gujarat government on Thursday after hearing Bawa’s challenge to the High Court judgment that upheld his death sentence.
The court also called for the trial-court records. The bombings took place on July 26, 2008, when 21 explosions struck different parts of Ahmedabad over about 70 minutes. Fifty-six people were killed and more than 200 injured.
Explosions also occurred at hospitals where victims were being treated. The Gujarat High Court in July upheld death sentences imposed on 38 Indian Mujahideen operatives and life imprisonment for 11 others. It cited the number of casualties, the scale of the alleged conspiracy and the stated intention to spread widespread terror when affirming the capital sentences.
The Special Court had convicted 49 of the 78 people put on trial. The cases included 20 first information reports concerning the Ahmedabad blasts and 15 relating to unexploded bombs recovered in Surat. The 11 prisoners given life terms were found to have participated in terror training camps and provided logistical assistance, including procuring scooters, containers and clocks allegedly used in the conspiracy.
The High Court also upheld fines. The court directed Gujarat to pay compensation of ₹10 lakh to each family of those killed and ₹5 lakh to each grievously injured person before March 30, 2027. The Supreme Court’s order concerns Bawa’s execution and does not overturn the wider convictions or sentences.
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