Two get death penalty for 2005 Shramjivi Express train blast

Jaunpur: A sessions court on Wednesday sentenced to death two men, including one from Bangladesh, for carrying out the Shramjivi Express train blast in 2005 that left at least 14 people dead and 62 injured.

A fine of Rs 5 lakh each was also imposed on the convicts, who were pronounced guilty on December 23.

”The court of additional sessions court judge Rajesh Kumar Rai awarded death sentences to Hilal alias Hilaluddin and Nafikul Vishwas convicted in the Shramjivi train blast case,” District government counsel Satish Pandey said.

While Hilaluddin is a native of Bangladesh, Vishwas is from West Bengal.

Local administration had made tight security arrangements and the convicts were taken to jail in a police vehicle after the court announced the quantum of punishment.

The explosion had ripped apart a coach of the Patna-New Delhi train near the Jaunpur station in Uttar Pradesh at around 5.00 pm on July 28, 2005.

According to the prosecution, RDX was kept in the toilet of the coach. RDX has been used in many terrorist attacks in the country, including the Ayodhya train bombing of June 2000.

Witnesses had reported that two young men had boarded the train at Jaunpur with a white suitcase. Shortly afterwards, both leapt out of the moving train without their suitcase and the explosion occurred a few minutes later.