6 person convicted for 2004 I-Day blast in Assam that killed 13 schoolkids acquitted by Gauhati High Court

While the court did not definitively state their innocence, criminal cases require guilt to be established beyond a reasonable doubt, which the prosecution could not achieve in this instance, according to the defendants' counsel, Abhijit Khanikar.

The Gauhati High Court on Thursday acquitted all six individuals previously convicted in connection with the 2004 bomb blast in Assam's Dhemaji, which tragically claimed the lives of 18 people, including 13 schoolchildren, during Independence Day celebrations. The attack, claimed by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), also left over 40 people injured.

In 2019, the Dhemaji District and Sessions Court had handed down sentences, sentencing Leela Gogoi, Dipanjali Buragohain, Muhi Handique, and Jatin Dubori to life imprisonment, while Prashanta Bhuyan and Hemen Gogoi received four-year jail terms. The convicted individuals subsequently challenged this verdict in the high court. The Gauhati High Court's recent decision to acquit the six individuals is based on granting them the benefit of the doubt. 

It's crucial to note that while the court did not definitively state their innocence, criminal cases require guilt to be established beyond a reasonable doubt, which the prosecution could not achieve in this instance, according to the defendants' counsel, Abhijit Khanikar.

The families of the victims have expressed disappointment and raised questions about the course of justice. They had hoped for a different outcome, considering that the lower court had found the individuals guilty in 2019, and now, just three years later, they are set to be released. This has led to concerns about the fairness and effectiveness of the judicial process.