Multiple Acquittals, Delayed Trials: Uneven Track Record of Delhi Terror Cases
With UAPA being invoked, the Red Fort blast is being treated as a terror attack now.
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The blast outside Red Fort on the evening of 10 November that has killed at least 12 people, is now officially being treated as a terror attack.
The Delhi Police has registered a case under Sections 16 and 18 of anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with provisions of the Explosives Act.
Even though the police is yet to confirm the cause of the blast or provide names of suspected individuals and organisations, invocation of the UAPA means that they are pursuing a possible terror angle.
So, as the National Investigation Agency and Delhi Police look into the 2025 Red Fort blast, it may be relevant to look at what happened each of the terror attack cases in Delhi and what happened to the subsequent trials.
2000 Red Fort Attack
On 22 December 2000, two gunmen opened fire, killing a civilian and two soldiers belonging to the Rajputana Rifles stationed at the Red Fort complex.
Pakistani national and Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq was convicted and sentenced to death. The death penalty was upheld by the Supreme Court and his mercy petition was rejected by President Draupadi Murmu in 2024.
2001 Parliament Attack
On 13 December, 2001 five terrorists attacked Parliament building, killing nine people and injuring 17 others. The five attackers were also killed. The BSF eliminated Ghazi Baba, the alleged mastermind of the attack in 2003.
A Special Court convicted Afzal Guru, Shaukat Hussain Guru and Prof SAR Geelani in 2001. Another accused, Navjot Sandhu alias Afsan Guru, was acquitted of all charges except one. However, the Delhi High Court overturned Prof Geelani's conviction and set him free. The HC upheld the death penalty of Afzal Guru and Shaukat Hussain. The Supreme Court later commuted Shaukat's sentence to 10 years in prison and he was released in 2010, nine months ahead of the completion of his sentence due to 'good behaviour'.
Afzal Guru was hanged in 2013.
2005 Liberty-Satyam Blast
In May 2005, one person was killed and 50 people injured in explosions at Liberty and Satyam Cinema Halls in South West Delhi. Both halls were screening Sunny Deol-starrer Jo Bole So Nihal. The Delhi Police had alleged the involvement Babbar Khalsa International.
Jagtar Singh Hawara, Balwinder Singh, Jaspal Singh, Vikas Sehgal and Jagannath Yadav were convicted in the case in 2012 as they had pleaded guilty.
However, another accused Tarlochan Singh, was acquitted in 2022 with the court saying that the guilty plea of others couldn't be used to convict him.
2005 Serial Blasts
In what is widely regarded as the worst terror attack in Delhi, at least 62 people were killed in blasts that took place at multiple locations such as Paharganj, Sarojini Nagar and Govindpuri on 29 October 2005. After a trial that lasted 12 years, a Sessions Court in 2017 acquitted two of the three accused Mohammad Rafiq Shah and Mohammad Hussain Fazli due to lack of evidence. The third accused, Tariq Ahmed Dar, was convicted for aiding and supporting a terror outfit (Lashkar-e-Taiba) but the court observed a lack of evidence regarding his involvement in the attack itself. He was released due to time already served.
2008 Serial Blasts
On September 13, 2008, at least 25 people killed and over 100 injured in five serial blasts within 45 minutes across Connaught place, Ghaffar market in Karol Bagh and M—Block market of Greater Kailash—I in South Delhi.
The investigating agencies alleged the involvement of 'Indian Mujahideen' in the attack. The trial is still going on in the trial court and the accused haven't been convicted or acquitted.
Two weeks later, on 27 September, another blast took place near Mehrauli, killing three people.
The police had denied the involvement of 'Indian Mujahideen' in the Mehrauli blast, saying that it was not in line with their modus operandi.
2010 Jama Masjid Firing
On 19 September 2010, two gunmen on a motorcycle fired at a tourist bus near Gate 3 of the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, India and injured two Taiwanese tourists. The Delhi Police alleged the involvement of the 'Indian Mujahideen' in the attack. However, one of the accused Ajaz Saeed Shaikh, was acquitted in 2024.
2011 Delhi High Court Blast
15 people were killed and over 70 injured after a 'suitcase bomb' exploded outside Delhi High Court on 7 September 2011. The probe agencies alleged the involvement of terror outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJi). The trial is still underway in this case at the lower court.
2012 Israel Diplomat Car Attack
On 13 February, 2012, a car belonging to the Israeli embassy in Delhi exploded after magnetic device stuck to it went off on Aurangazeb Road. Four people were injured in the blast, including Tal Yehoshua (40), wife of Israeli Defence Attache. There have been no convictions or acquittals in the case till now. Syed Mohammad Kazmi, an Indian journalist accused by the Special Cell of being involved in the attack, was released on bail later in 2012.