Jaipur, Mar 30: The Rajasthan High Court acquitted four accused in the deadly 2008 serial Jaipur blasts which claimed 71 lives and left over 180 injured. In December 2019, the accused were given capital punishment by a trial court which was challenged in the high court.

 

On Wednesday, the high court freed all four - Mohammed Salman, Mohammed Saif, Sarwar Azmi and Saifurehman Ansari and asked the chief secretary to probe the investigating officer in the case.

 

The verdict was pronounced by a division bench of Justices Pankaj Bhandari and Sameer Jain after approving 28 appeals. The court upheld the decision of the lower court to free one of the accused, identified as Shahbaz.

 

 

 

Notably, Mohammed Saif was arrested in the blast in Manak Chowk police station. Sarwar Aazmi was arrested for his role in the blast at the Chandpole Hanuman temple. Mohammad Salman was accused of carrying out blasts in Sanganeri Hanuman temple. Saifurehman Ansari was accused of planting bombs at five different places.

 

The police had registered eight FIRs in the case, with four in Kotwali and four in Manak Chowk police station. Statements of 1,293 witnesses were recorded by the prosecution. Jaipur lawyers refused to appear on behalf of the accused. Legal Aid appointed advocates Pekar Farooq and Suresh Vyas to represent the accused. The case involved 24 witnesses produced by the defence side and 1,270 witnesses produced by the government.

 

 

On May 13, 2008, a series blasts were executed at multiple locations in Japiur. The explosions killed 71 people and injured 185 others. One live bomb was recovered from a school bag on a bicycle near Ramchandra Temple and was defused by a bomb disposal squad.

 

A total of 13 people were arrested by police, out of which three are currently lodged in Hyderabad and Delhi jails while three others are still absconding. Two were killed in the Batla House encounter and four others were sent to Jaipur jail.