5 IM ultras found guilty in Bodh Gaya blasts

A special court in Patna on Thursday pronounced all the five accused in 2013 Bodh Gaya blast case as guilty.

The court will announce the quantum of punishment on May 31.

Those who have been found guilty include the mastermind of terror group Indian Mujahideen (IM) in Bihar, Haider Ali, and his four associates — Azharuddin Querishi, Imtiyaz Ansari, Omar Siddiqui and Mujib-ullah.

On July 7, 2013, a series of blasts rocked Bodh Gaya when the IM men struck at Mahabodhi Temple, a Unesco World Heritage site, at the holy town in central Bihar. Though no one was killed, two monks sustained injuries in the explosion. The case was later handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

One of the most revered sites for Buddhists, Mahabodhi Temple is significant in the sense that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment here at Bodh Gaya. Besides domestic and international tourists, thousands of Buddhist monks from Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Myanmar visit this holy town every month.