Indian court sentences 38 to death, 11 to life term in 2008 Gujarat blasts case

NEW DELHI, Feb. 18:  A local court in India's western state of Gujarat Friday sentenced 38 people to death and 11 others for life imprisonment under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case, officials said.

"Today the designated court for bomb blast cases pronounced death sentence to 38 convicts and a life term to 11 others accused in the Ahmedabad serial blasts case," a local official told media. "The court had declared these 49 people accused as guilty under various offences."

Nearly 80 people were on trial in the case.

On Feb. 8, the court convicted 49 people and acquitted 28 others in the case. The court ended the trial in the more than 13-year-old case in September last year.

A series of 21 bomb blasts hit Gujarat's Ahmedabad city on July 26, 2008, within a span of 70 minutes. Reports said 56 people were killed and over 200 others wounded.

The police said the suspects associated with Indian Mujahideen (IM) were involved in the blasts.