On Thursday, the Gauhati High Court acquitted all six accused in the 2004 Dhemaji bomb blast case, in which 18 people, including 13 school children, were killed on Independence Day.

A bench of justices Michael Zothankhuma and Mridul Kumar overturned a 2019 order of the Dhemaji district and sessions court, which had sentenced four persons to life imprisonment and two others to four years in jail.

The district court had sentenced Dipanjali Buragohain, Muhi Handique, Jatin Dubori, and Leela Gogoi to life imprisonment, while Prashanta Bhuyan and Hemen Gogoi were sentenced to four years in jail.

The blast had taken place at the Dhemaji College ground during Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 2004.

The ULFA, which called for a boycott of the celebrations, had claimed responsibility for the blast.

18 people were killed, and around 45 people were injured in the explosion.