The Supreme Court of India has recently upheld the convictions of two individuals in the 1996 Lajpat Nagar bomb blast case and sentenced them to life imprisonment without remission.
The convictions of two other former death row convicts, who were discharged by the Delhi High Court, were also restored, and they were awarded life sentences for the remainder of their natural lives.
A bench consisting of Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, and Sanjay Karol heard the appeals filed by Mohammed Naushad and Javed Ahmed Khan against their conviction and sentence. Additionally, the State filed special leave petitions challenging the Delhi High Court’s decision to commute Naushad’s death sentence to life imprisonment and acquit Mirza Nissar Hussain and Mohammed Ali Bhatt, who were also on death row. These appeals had been pending before the apex court for over a decade.
After 27 years since the terror attack, the Supreme Court finally decided the fate of the four convicts. While the division bench dismissed the appeals filed by Naushad and Khan to overturn their convictions, it declined to reinstate the death sentences imposed by the lower court. The bench remarked: “Even though it is the rarest of the rare case, considering several factors, we impose a sentence of imprisonment without remission extending to natural life. The accused, if on bail, are directed to immediately surrender. A5 (Mirza Nissar Hussain) and A6 (Mohammed Ali Bhatt) are directed to surrender.”
The case relates to the 1996 bomb blast in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar Central Market, which resulted in the loss of 13 lives, injuries to 38 people, and substantial property damage. The Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front (JKIF), designated as a ‘terrorist organization’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, claimed responsibility for the attack. The conspiracy, led by JKIF chief Bilal Ahmed Beg and involving the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Pakistan, prompted the Delhi Police to book six suspected Kashmiri militants and two others, including a woman. Mafia figures Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Menon were also named as accused in the bomb blast.
In April 2010, a local court in Delhi handed down the death penalty to three of the six convicted individuals, including Mohammed Naushad, Mohammed Ali Bhatt, and Mirza Nissar Hussain, while Javed Ahmed Khan was sentenced to life imprisonment. In November 2012, the Delhi High Court acquitted Mirza Nissar Hussain and Mohammed Ali Bhatt, commuting Mohammed Naushad’s death sentence to life imprisonment. The conviction and life sentence of Javed Ahmed Khan were upheld.
The convicts challenged their convictions and sentences before the Supreme Court, while the State filed a special leave petition seeking the restoration of the death sentences. The apex court issued notice in April 2013 and placed the matter before a three-judge bench in September 2016.
