The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court Monday, November 1, announced the quantum of punishment for the nine Indian Mujahideen terrorists convicted in the 2013 Patna Gandhi Maidan serial blasts case.
Four of the nine convicts, namely Imtiaz Ansari, Mohammed Mujibullah Ansari, Haider Ali alias ‘Black Beauty’ and Noman Ansari, have been awarded the death penalty. Two namely Azharuddin Qureshi and one other have been given life imprisonment, while two others namely Ahmed Hussain and Mohammed Firoze Aslam have been given ten years in jail. One accused is sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
Earlier, on October 27, judge Gurwinder Singh Malhotra heading the NIA court had convicted Haider Ali alias Black Beauty, Noman Ansari, Mohammed Mujibullah Ansari, Mohammed Imtiaz Alam, Ahmed Hussain, Mohammed Firoze Aslam, Imtiaz Ansari, Mohammed Iftiqar Alam and Azharuddin Qureshi of the banned terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM). One Fakruddin was not convicted due to a lack of evidence.
The court had posted the case for hearing on November 1 to pronounce the quantum of punishment for the convicts.
During Narendra Modi’s Hunkar rally at Gandhi Maidan in October 2013, Indian Mujahideen terrorists had carried out a plan to assassinate Modi. Six massive blasts shook the jam-packed area ahead of Modi’s arrival. The incident resulted in the deaths of six individuals and the injuries of 83 more. Despite the terror incident, the BJP leaders had calmed the crowd and Modi had addressed a rally that drew a gathering of over three lakh people.
Another massive explosion occurred inside a bathroom on platform 10 of the Patna train station, killing a major suspect, 25-year-old Tariq Ansari alias Enul. The dead was one of numerous Indian Mujahideen trainees who had travelled from Ranchi to Patna with explosives in order to kill Modi.
On November 6, 2013, the Lucknow branch of the NIA took over the investigation. The probe revealed Indian Muhaideen had set up its modules in Ranchi.