PTI
Hyderabad
The Telangana High Court on Tuesday upheld a trial court’s verdict handing out death penalty to five senior operatives of banned terror outfit, Indian Mujahideen, involved in a bomb blast that left 18 people killed in 2013.
A bench of Justice K Lakshman and Justice P Sree Sudha dismissed the criminal revision appeal filed by the IM operatives while upholding the NIA court’s judgment.
“Confirming the judgment of the trial court,” the bench said. On December 13, 2016, the NIA court convicted the five members, including IM co-founder Mohd Ahmed Sidibapa alias Yasin Bhatkal, Pakistani national Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas, Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, Tahaseen Akhtar alias Monu and Ajaz Shaikh. Lawyer of one of the accused told reporters that they will appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court.
Two deadly explosions in Dilsukhnagar, a crowded shopping area in the city, took place on February 21, 2013.
The first blast took place at a bus stop and the second near an eatery (A1 Mirchi Centre) in Dilsukhnagar.
A prosecution lawyer told reporters at the High Court that the NIA took over investigation of the case as terrorist activity is involved, though it was initially probed by a special investigation team (SIT) of the city police.
The prime accused Riyaz Bhatkal is hiding in Pakistan, he said.
The special court for NIA cases here awarded capital punishment to five convicts treating it as a rarest of the rare case, he said.
The High Court, after conducting a detailed hearing in the appeals filed by the convicts, confirmed the death sentence of the five IM operatives, he said.
The NIA had filed a 4,000-page chargesheet.
Hailing the confirmation of the death sentence for the convicts, victims of the bomb blasts and local citizens distributed sweets at the eatery in Dilsukhnagar where the blast occurred.
“Instead of feeding them with public money, the convicts should be hung without delay,” said Pandu, the owner of the eatery where the blast took place, speaking to media.
