After the sentencing in Patna on 1st November 2021

INDIA: 4 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2013 GANDHI MAIDAN BLASTS IN PATNA; JAIL FOR 5 OTHERS

November 2, 2021:

Four of the nine men convicted for the 2013 serial blasts at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan were sentenced to death by a Patna court on 1st November 2021.
Special NIA judge Gurwinder Singh Malhotra sentenced the five other convicts to prison terms ranging from life to seven years.
Six people were killed and 90 injured in the explosions.
Seven blasts went off on 27 October 2013, right before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, was to reach the venue to address an election meeting.
The additional district and sessions judge (XV) of the special NIA court, Gurwinder Singh Malhotra, awarded capital punishment to Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali alias Abdullah alias “Black Beauty”, Noman Ansari and Mohammed Mujibullah Ansari.
Umar Siddiqui and Azharuddin Qureshi were sentenced to life imprisonment, Ahmed Hussain and Feroz Aslam were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment while Mohammed Iftekhar Alam was awarded a seven-year prison term.
Five of the convicts - Haider Ali, alias Black Beauty, Imtiaz Ansari, Umer Siddique, Azharuddin Qureshi and Mujibullah Ansari - are already serving life terms for the Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi blasts just over three months before the 27 October 2013 attack on Modi’s election rally.
The nine were convicted on 27 October by the special NIA judge for planting and detonating the explosions.
Special public prosecutor Lalan Kumar Sinha said the nine were convicted for criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder, waging war against the government of India, conspiracy to wage war against the government, destroying evidence, explosives and railway act and the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.