2013 Patna Serial Blast Case: NIA Court Awards Death Sentence To 4 SIMI Terrorists

PATNA/NEW DELHI: A special NIA court on Monday awarded death sentence to four SIMI (The Students’ Islamic Movement of India) terrorists involved in the October 2013 serial blasts in Bihar’s Patna, in which six people died and 89 were injured.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesperson in Delhi said, “NIA Special Court in Patna today pronounced punishment in Patna serial bomb blast cases against nine SIMI terrorists.”

The official said, “Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Numan Ansari and Mojibullah Ansari have been awarded capital sentence, while Umer Siddiqui and Azharuddin have been awarded life imprisonment.”

“Ahmad Hussain and Firoj Aslam have been awarded 10 years imprisonment and Ifteqaar Alam has been awarded seven years imprisonment today,” he added.

The Special NIA court had convicted the nine accused on October 27 this year and the quantum of punishment was announced today.

The NIA had taken over the probe on December 31, 2013 pertaining to a series of bomb explosions which had taken place at Patna Railway Junction and Gandhi Maidan on October 27, 2013. One explosion at Patna Railway Junction had resulted in severe injury to one accused Tariq Ajam who had subsequently died on November 1, 2013 while undergoing treatment.

Six explosions rocked Gandhi Maidan in Patna between 11.40 a.m. to 12.45 p.m. on October 27, 2013, where Hunkar rally of BJP was being held, which was addressed by then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Six persons had died and more than 89 people had got injured in the explosion at Gandhi Maidan.

The official said that after probe, a combined charge sheet was filed on April 24, 2014 against one accused and supplementary charge sheet was filed on August 22, 2014 against 10 accused persons.

The official said that one of the charge sheeted accused, a juvenile, has already been convicted by Juvenile Justice Board, Patna while charges against one deceased accused have been abated.