Guwahati: A special court in Ahmedabad on Friday (February 18) awarded the death penalty to 38 of 49 convicts in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case.
The remaining 11 were awarded life imprisonment.
Last week, the court had convicted them for connection with the serial blasts.
The July 26, 2008, Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts killed 56 people and left over 200 injured.
Within a span of 70 minutes as many as 21 bomb blasts had taken place in Ahmedabad on that day.
Those convicted included Safdar Nagori, Javed Ahmed and Atikur Rehman. All were convicted under section 16 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act which deals with terrorism, as well as IPC sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy). They were also convicted under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 121-A (conspiracy to wage war or attempt to wage war against the nation) and 124-A (sedition) as well as Explosive Substances Act and Damage to Public Property Act, India TV News reported.
The verdict, which came 13 years after the serial blasts, special judge AR Patel also acquitted 28 other accused, giving them the benefit of doubt.
The police had claimed that members of the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) were involved in the blasts. It also added that they planned these blasts as revenge for the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
