Eleven People Killed in Bomb Explosion at New Delhi Appeals Court
Updated: A bomb exploded at an appeals court in India today, killing eleven people and wounding 59 others.
The bomb was hidden in a brief case at an entrance to the High Court, an appellate panel below India’s Supreme Court, the Associated Press reports. The bombing was the second at the courthouse in less than four months, according to AP and the New York Times. In the prior incident, a bomb in or near a car in the court’s parking lot created a small explosion that caused no injuries.
Lawyer Sangeeta Sondhi was parking her car near the gate when the bomb exploded today. “There was smoke everywhere,” she told AP. “People were running. People were shouting. There was blood everywhere. It was very, very scary.”
A Muslim militant group, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, claimed responsibility for the blast.
ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III issued a statement condemning the bombing and offering sympathies to families and friends of the victims.
“Beyond the horror of the loss of life, the attack on the courthouse itself is deplorable. In both function and symbolism, the High Court represents the rule of law itself,” Robinson said. “As lawyers and judges, we stand united against terrorism, particularly when it is directed against the very institutions that protect and preserve democracy.”
Updated at 2 p.m. to include statement by ABA President Robinson.
