Rajasthan HC acquits all accused in deadly 2008 Jaipur blasts

The accused were given capital punishment by a trial court in 2019 which was challenged in HC

The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday acquitted all four accused in the 2008 serial Jaipur blast case which claimed 71 lives and left over 180 injured.

The accused were given capital punishment by a trial court in 2019 which was challenged in the high court.

The high court also lambasted the investigating agency for doing a shoddy and shabby investigation in connecting the chain of evidence.

Jaipur was rocked by a series of blasts on May 13, 2008 when bombs went off one after another at Manak Chawk Khanda, Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupad, Tripolia Gate, Johri Bazar and Sanganeri Gate.

The explosions in the evening left 71 people dead and 185 injured.

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One live bomb was recovered near Ramchandra Temple which was defused by a bomb disposal squad.

In December 2019, a special court gave the death sentence to four men --Mohammad Saif, Mohammad Salman, Saifur and Mohammad Sarvar Azmi -- and acquitted another accused, Shahbaz Hussain.

While the state government challenged the acquittal of Shahbaz Hussain in the high court, the four awarded capital punishment filed an appeal against the trial court order.

The division bench of justices Pankaj Bhandari and Sameer Jain pronounced the judgment on Wednesday acquitting all four. The court also affirmed the acquittal of the fifth man, Shahbaz Hussain, by the lower court in its order.