Bodh Gaya temple blast: NIA special court convicts five, sentence on 31st May

Patna: National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court here on Friday convicted five in 2013 Bodh Gaya temple complex blast case in which several pilgrims were injured in a series of nine explosions.

NIA special judge Manoj Kumar Sinha convicted Haider Ali, a native of Ranchi in Jharkhand, Imtiyaz Ansari Mojibullah, Omar Sidiqqui, a native of Raigarh in Chhattisgarh and Azharuddin Qureishi after finding them guilty under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Substances Act for conspiring, involvement in terrorist activities and arranging funds for encouraging terrorist activities.   

The court would pronounce the quantum of punishment on May 31.Serial bomb blasts had taken place at Mahabodhi Temple, the most revered shrine for Buddhists at the temple town of Bodh Gaya on July 7, 2013 leaving several people seriously injured.

Acting swiftly, police had defused all bombs planted inside Mahabodhi Temple premises.

NIA had probed the matter and filed chargesheet against six accused in the special court on June 3, 2014. One of the accused was a minor and Juvenile Justice Board had convicted him only a few days back.

NIA special court set up inside Patna Civil Court was hearing the case of five another accused and convicted them.The court had framed charges against the accused on December 23, 2014.Altogether 90 witnesses had deposed from NIA side in the court.