49 convicted, 28 acquitted in 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case

The court will announce the punishment during a hearing on Wednesday.

The City Civil & Sessions Court in Ahmedabad on Tuesday held 49 out of 77 accused guilty, while 28 people were acquitted in the 2008 serial blasts case.

While giving its verdict, the court has convicted all the 49 accused in this case under Sections 302 (murder), 120B (conspiracy), and UAPA (Unlawful activity) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), said Sudhir Brahmbhatt, public prosecutor.

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The court will announce the punishment in the case during the hearing on Wednesday. The punishment can range from a death sentence to life imprisonment. Along with this, the court has also considered it a terrorist act, Sudhir said.

The investigating officer said that it was considered a terrorist conspiracy as the probing team found some pieces of evidence that suggested the arrested persons were trained by terrorists. "One of them was trained in a terrorist training camp in Pavagadh while another was in Tamil Nadu, the IO said.

Out of 28 declared innocent, 16 were given the benefit of doubt, while 12 were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

There were 20 FIRs lodged in Ahmedabad for the bomb blasts. Fifteen FIRs were registered in Surat as bombs were recovered from various parts of the city a couple of days after the terror strike in Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008.