All five accused in the Bodh Gaya blast case was declared guilty by the Patna Court on Friday by special NIA court. On the 7th of July, 2013, the Maha Bodhi Temple, situated where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment, was rocked by a series of 10 explosions in which five people, including two Monks, were injured. Judge Manoj Kumar pronounced Haider Ali alias Black Beauty, Imtiaz Ansari, Umar Siddiqui, Azharuddin Quraishi and Mujibullah Ansari guilty of planting the bomb.
Earlier, it was reported that the attacks were in response to the alleged Buddhist atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. “Buddhists from all over the world used to come there and a message will be sent to all,” a juvenile court’s order that convicted an 18-year old of planting the bombs at the site said.
In January this year, a low-intensity explosion had occurred near the Kalachakra grounds at Bodh Gaya during Dalai Lama’s visit. Two cane bombs were also recovered during a search operation by the Police. The motive behind the incident too was believed to have been vengeance against Buddhists for their alleged persecution of Rohingyans.
The Maha Bodhi Temple Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bihar. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had declared that the Indian Mujahideen was responsible for the bombings in November 2013. The quantum of sentence shall be announced on the 31st of May.
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