Abdul Karim Tunda acquitted in 1997 twin Rohtak blast cases, but will remain in jail

A court in Haryana on Friday acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda in the 1997 twin Rohtak bomb blast cases, his counsel said. Rohtak Additional Sessions judge Raj Kumar Yadav pronounced the verdict acquitting 80-year-old Tunda for a lack of evidence, advocate Vineet Verma said.

Tunda was produced in the court through video conferencing. He is currently lodged in the central jail in Rajasthan's Ajmer. He will continue to remain in the jail as he faces trial in multiple other cases.

Two bomb went off at the Old Sabzi Mandi and Qila road on January 22 in 1997 in Haryana's Rohtak, leaving eight injured.

Tunda was charged with Section 307 (attempt to murder), 120-B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Explosives Act, said Verma.

Tunda was nabbed from near the India-Nepal border in August 2013. He was brought to Rohtak on a production warrant on October 26, 2013.

Tunda is a resident of Pilkhua in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Tunda was booked in several bomb blast cases including Sonipat and Panipat.