The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the 2022 special court verdict sentencing 38 convicts to death and 11 others to life imprisonment in connection with the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts. A division bench comprising Justices A. Y. Kogje and Samir Dave dismissed all appeals filed against the trial court’s judgment, affirming the convictions and sentences awarded to members of the banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen. The ruling marks a major development in one of India’s deadliest terror attack cases.

The serial blasts took place on July 26, 2008, when 21 explosions struck different parts of Ahmedabad within just 70 minutes. The coordinated attacks claimed the lives of 56 people and left more than 200 others injured. Several hospitals treating the victims were also targeted, intensifying the scale of the tragedy and creating widespread panic across the city. The investigation eventually led to the arrest and prosecution of several members linked to the Indian Mujahideen.

In February 2022, a special court had awarded the death penalty to 38 convicts, describing the case as falling under the “rarest of rare” category, while 11 others were sentenced to life imprisonment. With the High Court now confirming those punishments, the convictions remain in force. The judgment reinforces the judiciary’s stand on terrorism-related offences and brings another significant chapter in the long-running legal proceedings arising from the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts.