Three get life imprisonment over 2018 Bodhgaya blasts

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Patna, India yesterday (17) handed life terms to three accused and 10-years imprisonment to five others over a serial bomb explosion at Bodhgaya in south Bihar.

The blasts took place on 19 January 2018 outside the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya minutes after the Dalai Lama ended his religious sermon at ‘Kal Chakra Maidan’.

Two monks had suffered splinter injuries in the explosion.

On 10 December, the NIA court had pronounced all the eight accused having their links with Bangladesh-based terrorist outfit guilty for the serial bomb blast.

While three accused - Paigamber Sheikh, Noor Alam Momin and Ahmad Ali - were given life imprisonment, Arif Hussain, Adil Sheikh, Mustafa Rahman, Dilawar Hussain and Abdul were given a 10-year jail term.

However, another accused, Zahidul Islam, didn’t confess his involvement in the incident.

The convicts were later taken to the central jail at Beur under tight security.