New Delhi, 01 October (H.S.): The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of Ahmed Bav alias Abu Abubakar Bareli, a death-row convict in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case. Bareli is among the 38 convicts who were sentenced to death in the case. The order was passed by a bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath.

Hearing Bareli’s appeal, the court issued notice to the Gujarat government and called for the original records of the trial court. During the hearing, the convict’s counsel argued that Bareli had primarily been convicted on the basis of conspiracy charges. Following the submissions, the apex court ordered a stay on the execution of the death sentence.

A series of blasts took place at different locations in Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, killing 56 people. In February 2022, a special court pronounced its verdict against 49 accused persons. Of them, 11 were sentenced to life imprisonment and 38 were awarded the death penalty. The court acquitted 28 other accused persons.

The verdict was challenged before the Gujarat High Court, which upheld the decision in July 2026. The matter has now been challenged before the Supreme Court.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar