The NIA Special Court, Patna on Friday convicted eight Jamat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) terrorists in the case of IED recovery and explosion at Bodh Gaya in 2018.
“Today (10.12.2021),NIA Special Court Patna pronounced judgement against 08 accused persons in RC-04/2018/NIA-DLI and convicted them on pleading guilty under various sections of law,” the NIA said in a statement.
Those convicted u der Indian Penal Code sections, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act are Paigambar Sheikh, Ahmad Ali, Nur Alam Momin, Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, Abdul Karim alias Korim, Mustafizur Rahman alias Shaheen alias Tuhin and Arif Hussain.
The case registered on February 3, 2018 pertains to planting of three IEDs in and around the premises of Bodhgaya temple complex. The first IED was detected at the Gate No. 5 of Kalchakra Maidan and it had exploded while it was being secured.
Two more live IEDs were recovered near Srilankan Monastery and at the stairs of Gate No-4 of Mahabodhi temple.
“Investigation had established that the accused persons had hatched a conspiracy by way of planting improvised explosive device at Bodh Gaya Temple complex, during visit of the His Holiness Dalai Lama and His Excellency the Governor of Bihar. Accused persons had contacted each other, travelled together, conspired and procured explosives, fabricated and planted these three IEDs at Bodh Gaya temple complex on 19.01.2018,” the agency said.
Charge-sheet was filed against three arrested accused Paigambar Sheikh, Ahmad Ali and Nur Alam on September 27, 2018 and supplementary chargesheet was filed on January 28, 2019 against six accused Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, Abdul Karim alias Korim, Mustafizur Rahman, Jahidul Islam alias Kausar and Arif Hussain.
Quantum of sentence against the eight accused convicted during the day would be pronounced on December 17 by the NIA Special Court Patna, it added.