2013 Bodh Gaya blast: NIA court convicts all five accused, next hearing on May 31

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Patna on Friday held all five accused guilty in 2013 Bodhgaya blast case. The next hearing in the case is on May 31.

All the five accused - Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Mujib Ullah, Omair Siddiqui and Azharuddin Qureishi – were Indian Mujahideen terrorists.

Special NIA judge Manoj Kumar Sinha convicted them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act and the Explosives Act. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence during the next hearing on May 31.

On July 7, 2013, a series of explosions rocked the pilgrim town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar. The bombs exploded near the Mahabodhi Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, leaving five people injured.