Supreme Court Stays Execution of Indian Mujahideen Operative in 2008 Ahmedabad Blasts Case
The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the execution of death-row convict Ahmed Bawa alias Abbu Abubakar Barelvi in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case, temporarily halting the implementation of his death sentence while his challenge to the conviction and punishment is considered.
A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Gujarat government on Barelvi’s plea challenging the Gujarat High Court judgment that had upheld his conviction and death sentence.
The Supreme Court also called for the original trial court records. The order means that Barelvi’s execution cannot take place while the Supreme Court examines his challenge.
During the hearing, Barelvi’s counsel argued that his conviction was based entirely on the alleged conspiracy. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the government, described the matter as a serious case.
Barelvi is among the 38 convicts who were sentenced to death by a special court in Gujarat in February 2022 in connection with the Ahmedabad serial blasts. The special court had convicted 49 of the 78 accused who faced trial, sentencing 11 others to life imprisonment and acquitting 28 accused.
The Gujarat High Court subsequently considered the appeals and the confirmation proceedings relating to the death sentences. On July 7, 2026, the High Court upheld the convictions and death sentences of all 38 death-row convicts and confirmed the life sentences imposed on the other 11 convicts.
The case concerns the coordinated serial bombings that struck Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008. The explosions occurred at multiple locations across the city and resulted in 56 deaths and more than 200 injuries. Hospitals where victims were being taken for treatment were also among the locations affected by the attacks.
The prosecution case involved a wide-ranging conspiracy investigation concerning the planning and execution of the attacks. The proceedings brought together multiple cases relating to the Ahmedabad explosions and unexploded bombs recovered in Surat.
The 2022 special court judgment followed one of the country’s largest terrorism trials, involving a substantial volume of documentary and other evidence and testimony from a large number of witnesses.
The Gujarat High Court, while confirming the death sentences in July, considered the scale of the attacks, the number of casualties and the prosecution’s case regarding the objective of creating widespread terror.
The Supreme Court’s latest order does not acquit Barelvi or cancel his conviction. It only prevents the execution of the death sentence for the time being while the court examines his legal challenge.
The case will now proceed before the Supreme Court, with the Gujarat government’s response and the trial records to be considered as the proceedings continue.
