Patna (Bihar): Nine of the ten accused in the eight-year-old deadly Gandhi Maidan serial blasts at the venue of then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s Hunkar rally in Patna were convicted while one accused, Fakruddin was acquitted due to the lack of evidence against him. The verdict was pronounced by National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) special court. The quantum of punishment will be delivered on November 1.
The blasts were reported in the rally held in the lead-up to the 2014 Indian general election.
On October 27 in 2013, as many as six people were killed and 84 others were injured during the deadly blasts. On the same fateful day, a similar blast was reported from Patna Junction railway station. Several leaders of BJP including the then CM Narendra Modi were to take part in the rally.
After the incident, the NIA took up the case on November 6, 2013, and filed a charge sheet against the 11 accused in August 2014. The ten accused were the carders of the Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and one minor who was later sent to a juvenile home for three years.
The accused were identified as Haider Ali, Noman Ansari, Mohd Mujibullah Ansari, Imtiaz Alam, Ahmed Hussain, Fakruddin, Mohd. Firoz Aslam, Imtiaz Ansari, Mohd. Iftikar Alam, Azharuddin Qureshi and Taufik Ansari.
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