Rajasthan Cops To Analyse Judgement Acquitting 2008 Jaipur Blasts Accused

The Rajasthan Police will conduct an internal audit and analyse the High Court order that acquitted four people in the 2008 Jaipur serial blasts while terming the investigation "shoddy".

Director General of Rajasthan Police Umesh Mishra said they have taken the comments of the "court seriously and are examining the files in detail".

Jaipur was rocked by a series of blasts on May 13, 2008 when bombs went off one after another at Manak Chawk Khanda, Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupad, Tripolia Gate, Johri Bazar and Sanganeri Gate. The blasts claimed 71 lives and left 185 injured.

The Rajasthan High Court last month acquitted four men who were given the death sentence by a lower court. The HC slammed the investigating agencies over their "shoddy investigation". It also affirmed the acquittal of a fifth accused by the trial court.

Days after the High Court's adverse comments, Mr Mishra said an internal audit will be conducted and the court's observations will be analysed.

"A proposal has been sent to the state government for filing an SLP (Special Leave Petition) in the Supreme Court. There is a strong ground for going in appeal. We have taken the comments of the court seriously and are examining the files in detail," the DGP told a press conference at the police headquarters here.

"We will see whether something was done deliberately or they were circumstantial and nothing could have been done. For example, there was one point of CCTV footage of the railway station but there was no CCTV coverage there. So there are several points, and we will conduct an internal audit," he said.

The DGP said the process of examining the fact has already begun and he himself is overseeing it.

A lower court in December 2019 had awarded death sentence to Mohammad Sarwar Azmi, Mohammad Saif, Mohammad Salman and Saifur Rahman and acquitted a fifth accused, Shahbaz Hussain, giving him the benefit of doubt.

The four convicts challenged the lower court order in the High Court, and a division bench acquitted the four last month and also confirmed the acquittal of Shahbaz Hussain.

While acquitting the four, the HC termed the case a classic example of institutional failure resulting in a shoddy investigation. 

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