8 JMB terrorists convicted in Bodh Gaya temple blast case
Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Dec, 2021 11:32 AM
New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) An NIA Special Court in Patna on Friday convicted eight Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorists for planting three IEDs -- one of which exploded -- in January 2018, in and around the premises of Bodh Gaya temple complex in Bihar ahead of the scheduled visit of the Dalai Lama and the then Governor of the eastern state, officials said.
The NIA court convicted the eight individuals after going through the evidence, and hearing arguments of both the defence and the prosecution side.
The court convicted JMB terrorists -- P. Sheikh, Ahmad Ali, Nur Alam Momin, Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, Abdul Karim alias Korim, Mustafizur Rahman alias Shaheen and Arif Hussain, under sections 121A, 122, 123 of IPC, Sec 16, 18, & 20 of UA (P) Act and Sec 4 & 5 of Explosive Substance Act, a statement said.
The NIA had registered the case on February 3, 2018.
The first Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detected at the gate number 5 of 'Kalchakra Maidan' and it had exploded while it was being secured. Two more IEDs were later detected near 'Sri Lankan Monastery', and at the stairs of gate number 4 of Mahabodhi temple.
The probe by NIA established that the convicted individuals had hatched a conspiracy by way of planting IEDs at Bodhgaya Temple complex, ahead of the dignitaries' visit.
The JMB terrorists had contacted each other, travelled together, conspired and procured explosives, fabricated and planted these three IEDs at Bodh Gaya temple complex.
In 2018, a chargesheet was filed against three arrested accused -- P. Sheikh, Ahmad Ali and Nur Alam, and supplementary chargesheet was later filed in 2019 against 6 more individuals -- Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, Abdul Karim alias Korim, Mustafizur Rahman, Jahidul Islam alias Kausar and Arif Hussain.
The quantum of sentence against the eight convicted on Friday would be pronounced on December 17 by the NIA Special court.
Scotching speculation to the contrary, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday made it clear he was not joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but had no intention of continuing in the Congress either, which he said was going downhill with senior leaders completely ignored and not given a voice.
The meeting lasted for over two hours and the issues raised by Sidhu will be put before the Cabinet on October 4, sources in the party said.After the meeting at Punjab Bhavan, where AICC observer Harish Chaudhary was also present, both Channi and Sidhu left the meeting venue without talking to the media.
Hundreds of environmental activists had marched from the ITO Metro station to Delhi Secretariat on September 24 to mark the 'Global Climate Strike' week and learn of the status of their list of demands presented to the Delhi government on March 19.
What everyone believes at Ekal Vidyalaya is that “change is possible and education can be the medium to bring the change in the life of the last man in the last row in the remotest parts of India.”
Amid the turmoil within the ruling Congress party and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal's visit to Punjab, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday announced to waive pending electricity bills of 55 lakh defaulters, covering 80 per cent of the total consumers.
Sidhu resigned much to the dismay of the Congress party and on the day when the party was going gaga over the joining of Kanhaiya Kumar and Jignesh Mevani.
