JAIPUR: A special court on Tuesday witnessed a rare courtroom exchange as Urdu couplet made its way into legal arguments during the sentencing of four men convicted in the 2008 Jaipur live bomb case, part of the city’s serial blast conspiracy that killed 71 and injured 185.
As defence counsel recited an Urdu couplet questioning the fairness of the trial, the judge responded with a verse underlining that the verdict was not without basis.
The courtroom moment came during the hearing in a special court presided over by Judge Ramesh Kumar Joshi, who awarded life imprisonment to the four men for planting a live bomb at Ramchandraji temple in Chandpole, part of the series of blasts that rocked the Pink City on May 13, 2008.
Appearing for convict Shahbaz Ahmed, advocate Mujahid Ahmed argued that guilt had been presumed from the outset, reciting: “Tumhara shahar, tum hi qaatil, tum hi muddai, tum hi munsif, humein yaqeen hai kasoor humara hi niklega.”
The court, in its 598 page judgement, responded in verse. “Kudrat ke faisle pe shaq mat karna, agar saza milli hai to gunah bhi kiya hoga,” Justice Joshi said.
The court found Shahbaz Ahmed, Saif-Ur-Rehman, Mohammed Saif, and Sarwar Azami guilty under the IPC, Explosive Substances Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and imposed a fine of Rs 1.6 lakh on each.
While these four had earlier been awarded capital punishment in the main Jaipur blasts case, the Rajasthan high court overturned the verdict last year, citing lack of evidence and lapses in investigation.
The state government and victims’ families have challenged the acquittal in the Supreme Court.
Special public prosecutor Sagar Tiwari told the court that a strong sentence was essential to send a message to those planning similar acts. “Justice must reflect not just legal principles but also the pain of families who lost their loved ones,” he said.
The defence has said it will appeal the conviction in the live bomb case. “We will study the judgment before filing an appeal. The same accused were acquitted in the main blasts case,” said advocate Minaz-Ul-Haq.
The live bomb found at Ramchandraji temple had failed to detonate and was later defused, preventing further bloodshed. Its recovery became a key piece of evidence in the prosecution’s case, tying the four men to the broader conspiracy behind the coordinated bombings.
The special court’s ruling also addressed earlier inconsistencies in testimonies by key witnesses, including former ADG (Crime) AK Jain, journalist Prashant Tandon, and Dinesh Mahawar gaps which had contributed to the high court’s acquittal in the main blasts case.
As defence counsel recited an Urdu couplet questioning the fairness of the trial, the judge responded with a verse underlining that the verdict was not without basis.
The courtroom moment came during the hearing in a special court presided over by Judge Ramesh Kumar Joshi, who awarded life imprisonment to the four men for planting a live bomb at Ramchandraji temple in Chandpole, part of the series of blasts that rocked the Pink City on May 13, 2008.
Appearing for convict Shahbaz Ahmed, advocate Mujahid Ahmed argued that guilt had been presumed from the outset, reciting: “Tumhara shahar, tum hi qaatil, tum hi muddai, tum hi munsif, humein yaqeen hai kasoor humara hi niklega.”
The court, in its 598 page judgement, responded in verse. “Kudrat ke faisle pe shaq mat karna, agar saza milli hai to gunah bhi kiya hoga,” Justice Joshi said.
The court found Shahbaz Ahmed, Saif-Ur-Rehman, Mohammed Saif, and Sarwar Azami guilty under the IPC, Explosive Substances Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and imposed a fine of Rs 1.6 lakh on each.
While these four had earlier been awarded capital punishment in the main Jaipur blasts case, the Rajasthan high court overturned the verdict last year, citing lack of evidence and lapses in investigation.
The state government and victims’ families have challenged the acquittal in the Supreme Court.
Special public prosecutor Sagar Tiwari told the court that a strong sentence was essential to send a message to those planning similar acts. “Justice must reflect not just legal principles but also the pain of families who lost their loved ones,” he said.
The defence has said it will appeal the conviction in the live bomb case. “We will study the judgment before filing an appeal. The same accused were acquitted in the main blasts case,” said advocate Minaz-Ul-Haq.
The live bomb found at Ramchandraji temple had failed to detonate and was later defused, preventing further bloodshed. Its recovery became a key piece of evidence in the prosecution’s case, tying the four men to the broader conspiracy behind the coordinated bombings.
The special court’s ruling also addressed earlier inconsistencies in testimonies by key witnesses, including former ADG (Crime) AK Jain, journalist Prashant Tandon, and Dinesh Mahawar gaps which had contributed to the high court’s acquittal in the main blasts case.
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