High Court Acquits All 6 Convicts In Assam Blast That Killed 13 Schoolchildren

Guwahati: In a significant verdict, Gauhati High Court on Thursday acquitted all six convicts in the 2004 Assam bomb blast which had killed 18 people, including 13 schoolchildren, left over 40 people injured.

The explosion took place during Independence Day celebrations in Dhemaji, located in upper Assam.

United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Dhemaji District and Sessions Court in 2019 convicted six people, sentencing Leela Gogoi, Dipanjali Buragohain, Muhi Handique and Jatin Dubori to life imprisonment, and handing four-year jail terms to Prashanta Bhuyan and Hemen Gogoi, reported PTI.

The convicts had challenged the verdict in high court.

“The Gauhati High Court, in its order, said the six people have been acquitted as they have been given the benefit of the doubt. The court didn’t say they were not involved but, in criminal cases, guilt has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution could not do that in this case,” said Abhijit Khanikar, the accused’s counsel.

The victims’ families expressed disappointment with the verdict, saying that justice has not been done.

“We expected that the high court would give us justice but all the convicts have been acquitted. We are upset,” said a family member of a victim.

“They were found guilty by a lower court only in 2019 and they are going to be set free just three years on. Is this justice?” said the relative of another victim.