A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India ordered an interim stay on the execution of the death sentence awarded to an Indian Mujahideen operative convicted in connection with the horrific 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts. The apex court bench, headed by senior jurists, passed the directive while requisitioning the complete original trial court and appellate records pertaining to convict Ahmed Bawa and related co-accused.
The coordinated terror attacks in July 2008 claimed the lives of fifty-six civilians and injured more than two hundred people across multiple locations in Ahmedabad, including trauma centers and municipal hospitals. A special trial court had sentenced dozens of convicts to capital punishment, a verdict subsequently reviewed by the Gujarat High Court during mandatory confirmation hearings.
Legal counsel representing the death row convict argued before the top court that mitigating circumstances, institutional psychological evaluations, and individual culpability standards required comprehensive judicial reassessment in light of evolving capital sentencing jurisprudence. The Supreme Court scheduled detailed arguments for hearing, directing prison authorities to maintain current custody arrangements pending final judicial determination.
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Sources:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/top-news-of-the-day-october-1-2026/article71532563.ece