Patna, March 26 (IANS) In a significant judgment, the Patna High Court has granted major relief to Lambu Sharma and other convicts in the Arrah Civil Court blast case. The court acquitted Lambu Sharma of the death penalty, providing him with substantial relief. However, it upheld the convictions of Lambu Sharma and Akhilesh Upadhyay in connection with the charge of escaping from jail.

Additionally, the High Court set aside life imprisonment sentences of several other accused, including Rinku Yadav, Pramod Singh, Shyam Vinay Sharma, Chand Miyan, Naim Miyan and Anshu Kumar, acquitting them of the charges.

The verdict was delivered by a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo.

The Bench had earlier reserved its judgment on February 12, 2026, after completing hearings on appeals challenging the lower court’s order.

During the proceedings, the court directed the state government to ensure the online presence of all convicts, noting that they were lodged in different jails.

It also instructed the District Legal Services Authority to provide legal counsel to inform the convicts about the ongoing hearings.

The case relates to the January 23, 2015, blast inside the Arrah Civil Court premises, where a female suicide bomber detonated an explosive device, killing herself and two others, and injuring several people.

The attack was allegedly aimed at facilitating the escape of Lambu Sharma, who managed to flee amid the chaos along with his accomplices.

This ruling marks a major development in the long-running case, significantly altering the legal standing of several accused while maintaining certain convictions.

In the earlier trial, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Tribhuvan Yadav had, on August 21, 2019, awarded the death penalty to Lambu Sharma under various provisions of the IPC and the Explosives Act, along with a fine of Rs 22,000.

The same court had sentenced seven other accused — including Rinku Yadav, Pramod Singh, Shyam Vinay Sharma, Chand Miyan, Naim Miyan and Anshu Kumar — to life imprisonment on murder charges.

A fine of Rs 42,000 was imposed on Akhilesh Upadhyay, while the remaining convicts were fined Rs 40,000 each.

Challenging these verdicts, the convicts had moved the Patna High Court.

--IANS

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