The Gujarat High Court has upheld the death sentences of 38 convicts and life imprisonment for 11 others in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case. The appeals arising from one of India’s longest terrorism trials have now been concluded. Special Public Prosecutor Amit Patel mentioned that the appeals were heard daily since March 2025 before the Division Bench delivered its judgment.
Patel stated that the detailed judgment is not yet available online, and he will provide further comments after reviewing the complete order. The High Court affirmed the trial court’s decision to award capital punishment to 38 convicts and rejected the appeals of the 11 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment.
Regarding compensation, the court has ordered Rs 10 lakh for families of the deceased, Rs five lakh for victims with severe injuries, and Rs one lakh for those with minor injuries. The 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts case involved 21 explosions that targeted buses, public areas, and hospitals, resulting in 56 fatalities and over 200 injuries.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch, along with other agencies, conducted a thorough investigation leading to the conviction of 49 individuals in February 2022. Out of these, 38 were sentenced to death, and 11 to life imprisonment. The convicts had appealed the verdict in the Gujarat High Court, which has now upheld the special court’s decision. The convicts still have the option to challenge this ruling in the Supreme Court.
