4 convicted for 2008 Jaipur serial blasts which killed 72 people

Jaipur: A special court on Wednesday (December 18) convicted four people in connection with the 2008 Jaipur serial blast case. The blast had killed 72 people and left over 170 injured. The court acquited one person giving him the benefit of doubt. All the four have been convicted under sections of IPC, Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act, Explosives Act, and PDPP Act.

Those convicted are Mohammad Shahbaz Hussain, Mohammad Saif aka Carreon, Mohammad Sarwar Azmi, Mohammad Saif alias Saifurrahman Ansari and Mohammad Salman. 

A total of eight cases were registered with the Manak Chowk and Kotwali police stations in connection with these blasts. The case was investigated by the Rajasthan ATS and charge sheet filed against five people. 

In May 2008, terrorists had triggering nine blasts in a span of 15 minutes in crowded market areas and near a Hanuman temple in Jaipur killing more than 70 people. Bangladesh-based terror group Harkut-ul-Jehadi Islami (HuJI) was suspected to be behind the serial blasts.

The use of RDX was suspected in the carefully orchestrated low-intensity explosions which were set off from cycles in areas including near Hawa Mahal which are frequented by domestic and foreign tourists.

The blasts had rocked Tripolia Bazar, where a large number of devotees turned up at a Hanuman temple, Johari Bazar, Manas Chowk, Badi Choupal and Choti Choupal -- all located within a two-km radius in the old city. The police had managed to defuse four explosives, including one near the Hanuman temple.