The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday 29th December 2023 acquitted all four men who were given the death sentence by a Special lower court for the 2008 serial Jaipur blasts that killed 71 people and slammed the investigating agencies over their "shoddy investigation".

The acquittal of a fifth accused by the trial court was also affirmed by the High Court. On 13th May 2008 Jaipur was rocked by a series of blasts when bombs went off one after another at Manak Chawk Khanda, Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupar, Tripolia Gate, Johri Bazar and Sanganeri Gate. 71 people were dead and 185 were injured when the bomb blast in the evening.

The High Court had reserved its judgment on 03.11.2022 and the bench of Justice Pankaj Bhandari and Sameer Jain was delivered yesterday. The HC lambasted the investigating agencies for doing a shoddy investigation. The court also directed the DGP of Rajasthan to take action against the officers involved in the investigation.

The court found the entire theory presented by the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), which investigated the case, wrong. He said the high court issued directions to the chief secretary to monitor the case.

While acquitting the accused persons the HC reiterated the principle that, "It is also a settled principle of criminal jurisprudence that more serious the offence, the stricter the degree of proof, since higher degree of assurance is required to convict the accused."

On the conduct of the Investigating Agencies, the HC said that "It is apparent that the investigation was not fair and it appears that nefarious means were employed by the Investigating Agencies, material witnesses required to unfold the events were withheld and apparent manipulations and fabrications have been done during the investigation. We therefore deem it proper, in interest of society, justice and morality, to direct the Director General of Police, Rajasthan, to initiate appropriate enquiry/disciplinary proceedings against the erring officers of the investigating team."

"The ATS failed to prove the travel plan of the accused that they had travelled from Delhi to Jaipur in a bus on May 13, had lunch at a
restaurant, purchased cycles, planted bombs and returned the same day to Delhi in Shatabdi express. The ATS could not produce bus tickets".