2008 Jaipur blasts: Rajasthan HC acquits all accused given death sentence

The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday acquitted four men who were given the death sentence by a lower court for the 2008 serial Jaipur blasts that killed 71 people and slammed the investigating agencies over their "shoddy investigation".

It also affirmed the acquittal of a fifth accused by the trial court. Jaipur was rocked by a series of blasts on May 13, 2008 when bombs went off one after another at Manak Chawk Khanda, Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupad, Tripolia Gate, Johri Bazar and Sanganeri Gate.

The explosions in the evening left 71 people dead and 185 injured.

According to advocate S S Ali, the counsel for the accused, the high court lambasted the investigating agencies for doing a shoddy investigation in connecting the chain of evidence. The court also directed the director general of police of Rajasthan to take action against the officers involved in the investigation.

Ali said the court found the entire theory presented by the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which investigated the case, wrong. He said the high court issued directions to the chief secretary to monitor the case.

"The ATS failed to prove the travel plan of the accused that they had travelled from Delhi to Jaipur in a bus on May 13, had lunch at a restaurant, purchased cycles, planted bombs and returned the same day to Delhi in Shatabdi express. The ATS could not produce bus tickets," the counsel said.