SC upholds life term of 10 convicts in 1993 serial Rajdhani Express blasts

Nearly 23 years after a series of bomb blast in various Rajdhani Express trains, the Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and life term of as many as ten accused in the cases while setting free four others.

A bench of justices FMI Kalifulla and UU Lalit said the prosecution has been successful in establishing its case against 10 accused for their varying roles in the 1993 serial blasts in trains.

“The appeals insofar as accused nos. 8, 9, 10 and 13 are allowed and their conviction and sentence is set aside. The accused nos. 8, 9, 10 and 13 shall be set at liberty, unless their custody is required in any other matter,” the bench said.

The verdict came on appeals filed by 14 of the total 16 convicts under the now-repealed Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, against the judgement passed by designated TADA court at Ajmer in 2004.

The trial court had held 14 people guilty under various provisions of the TADA and the IPC.

One of the 16 accused Irfan Ahmad had escaped from custody during the trial while another claimed juvenelity which led to separation of his trial.

Bombs blasts had taken place in six Rajdhani Express trains across the country on the intervening night of December 5 and 6, 1993 in which two persons were killed and several others were injured.

A blast occurred in Rajdhani Express running from New Delhi to Howrah on December 12, 1993 near Kanpur Railway station in which two persons were injured.

Another blast took place in the wee hours of December 6 in Rajdhani Express running from Howrah to New Delhi in Kanpur division in which no injury had taken place.

At about 7:05 a.m. on December 6, 1993, a bomb exploded in A.P. Express running from Hyderabad to Nizamuddin in general compartment while the train was at Moula Ali Railway Station in which two persons had died.