Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court has upheld imposition of fine on all 49 convicts on the grounds that their crime was of larger magnitude, and imposing fines for causing such damage is justified.In Feb 2022, the special court had fined 48 convicts with Rs 2.85 lakh for 29 offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Explosive Substance Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act. Another convict, Usman Agarbattiwala, was fined Rs 2.88 lakh for possessing a gun.High court stated, “Over and above the loss of life and injuries… the damage suffered to the public property especially, the property like a Civil Hospital, has to be treated as a circumstance of larger magnitude. The fine imposed on each of the accused whose collective role has knowingly led to the damage of this magnitude is justified.”
