Varanasi blast mastermind convicted after 16 years

Terrorist Waliullah Khan has been convicted by a Ghaziabad court for the Varanasi blasts 16 years after the incident. The punishment will be pronounced on June 6 at 2 pm.

District Sessions Judge Jitendra Kumar Sinha convicted Waliullah in two cases which were lodged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections of murder, attempt to murder, and mutilation, and under the Explosives Act. He was acquitted in one case due to lack of evidence.

The special task force investigating the blasts claimed in 2006 that Waliullah was linked to a Bangladeshi terrorist group Harkat-ul-jehad Al Islami. He was also named the mastermind of the blasts.

According to South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), the HuJi has links with Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Taliban, and Al-Qaeda. The portal also says the Varanasi blasts were executed by a collaboration of HuJI affiliate and the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

The blasts at Sankat Mochan temple and cantonment railway station on March 7, 2006, led to the death of 20 people and left over 100 citizens injured.

After the incident, it was concluded that the date and time for the explosions were chosen to cause maximum damage. Many students and devotees were at the temple when bombs exploded during the Arti ceremony as the CBSC and ISC exams were in progress.

Varanasi is one of the holiest sites for Hindus, and Tuesday is a sacred dedicated day of the deity at the temple. This brought more people to the location at the time of the blasts. The explosion at the railway station was timed with the rush of passengers waiting for the Shiv Ganga express.

The first blast took place inside the temple at 6.15 pm. Another bomb exploded outside the first-class restroom at the railway station after just 15 minutes. A cooker bomb was also found near the railings of a railway crossing in a police station. 121 witnesses were produced in court to argue the case.