GUWAHATI, Jan 28 - Prime accused in the 2008 October 30 serial blasts Ranjan Daimary alias DR Nabla was today convicted by a fast-track court of the CBI along with 13 others. Mridul Goyari, another accused, has been acquitted of all the charges, giving him the benefit of doubt, said Manas Sarania, counsel for NDFB chief Daimary.
The court has reserved January 30 as the date for pronouncement of the quantum of punishment.
The CBI Special Court Judge AK Chakrabarty convicted Ranjan Daimary, George Bodo, Raju Sarkar, Prabhat Bodo, Ajoy Basumatary, Rahul Brahma, Indra Brahma, Lokra Basumatary, Ansari Basumatary, Nilim Daimary, Rajen Goyari, Jayanti Brahma, B Thorai and Mathura Brahma.
The accused were booked under Sections 302, 326, 324, 435 and 436 of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 3 and 4 of the Explosives Act and Sections 10, 13, 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Seven other accused in the serial blasts case are still untraced.
As many as 88 people died while more than 500 others sustained injuries in the nine blasts that were triggered in a synchronised fashion in
Guwahati, Barpeta, Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar.
CBI Special Public Prosecutor TD Goswami said that the prosecution has demanded death penalty for all the accused.
The CBI, after taking over the case from the Assam Police, had filed two chargesheets naming as many as 22 accused, including the then NDFB chief Ranjan Daimary, who, the investigating agency claimed, had masterminded the orgy of violence.
The first chargesheet was filed on May 26, 2009 which was followed by the second and final chargesheet on December 20, 2010.
The 2008 serial blasts, the worst-ever terrorist attack in the State, were triggered at Guwahati (Ganeshguri, CJM Court and Panbazar), Barpeta (two blasts), Bongaigaon (one blast) and Kokrajhar (three blasts).
The fast-track court took over the trial process in 2017.
