Two Indian Mujahideen cadre convicted in the 2007 Hyderabad twin blast case

Two of the five accused in the twin bombing case of 2007 in Hyderabad were convicted by a special court in Cherlapally central prison here on Tuesday. The blasts claimed 44 lives, while 68 were left injured.

Anique Shafique Syeed and  Mohammed Akbar Ismail Choudhury, associates of Mohammed Riyaz Bhatkal and his elder brother Mohammed Iqbal Bhatkal  were held guilty. They were Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives.

The Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Court operating from Cherlapally central prison convicted the duo under Section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the IPC and sections of the Explosive Substances Act. The verdict was pronounced by Justice T. Srinivas Rao.

The quantum of punishment will be announced on Monday.

Two other accused, Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash and Mohammed Sadiq Israr Ahmed Shaik were acquitted, while judgment against Tarik Anjum will be pronounced on Monday.

The trial against them was shifted to court hall in the Cherlapally prison from a court located in Nampally court complex in June this year owing to security reasons.

The Telangana Police’s Counter Intelligence Cell had filed three separate charge-sheets against seven accused persons. Other three accused, Riyaz Bhatkal, his brother Iqbal Bhatkal and Amir Raza Khan are still at large.

The IM operatives planted three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the city on August 25, 2007, of which two went off at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat Bhandar and one unexploded bomb placed under a foot-over-bridge at Dilsukhnagar was recovered by the police.

Over 160 witnesses were examined and cross-examined during the trials.