2008 Jaipur blasts case: SC refuses to relax daily appearance of accused

A bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai, PS Narasimha, and Aravind Kumar adjourned to next year hearing on the pleas filed against acquittal of four men sentenced to death by the trial court in connection with the 2008 Jaipur serial blast case.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court Wednesday declined to relax conditions requiring the accused in the 2008 Jaipur serial blast case to register their appearance on a daily basis between 10 a.m. and 12 noon before the anti-terror squad police station in Jaipur.

A bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai, PS Narasimha, and Aravind Kumar adjourned to next year hearing on the pleas filed against acquittal of four men sentenced to death by the trial court in connection with the 2008 Jaipur serial blast case. The petitions have been filed by the state government and family members of blast victims against the Rajasthan High Court's order acquitting the four, namely, Mohd Saif, Saifur Rahman, Sarwar Azmi, and Mohd Salman.

The bench declined to relax the condition requiring the accused to register their appearance on a daily basis between 10 a.m. and 12 noon before the anti-terror squad police station in Jaipur. The apex court scheduled the matter for further hearing on January 8, 2024.

In a previous hearing, the apex court refused to stay the acquittal decision by the Rajasthan High Court saying that it cannot pass an order without hearing the accused. However, the apex court had stayed a direction passed in the March 29 high court order, asking the state's Director General of Police to order an inquiry against the investigating officer and other police personnel involved in the case.

In May this year, the apex court had directed that the four people, who were acquitted, be released unless wanted in any other case, adding that all four will surrender their passports. The Rajasthan government and victims’ families moved the apex court against the high court verdict acquitting four. In May 2008, a series of blasts rocked Jaipur, leaving 71 people dead and 185 injured. A total of 13 people were made accused in this case by the police.