Telangana HC Confirms Death Penalty For 5 Indian Mujahideen Operatives In 2013 Dilsukhnagar Blasts
Hyderabad, Apr 8 (PTI) 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, 201,6 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.
Noting that some of the blast victims even lost their limbs, he urged the government to provide financial assistance to all those who sustained injuries.
He recalled feeling terrified when the explosion happened, with pools of blood visible at the site. Around 10 to 12 people died on the spot.
Meanwhile, Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy welcomed the High Court verdict upholding the death penalty for the convicts.
"The High Court’s confirmation of the death sentence makes it clear once again that violence has no place in a democracy," said Reddy, who is also the president of the BJP in Telangana.
He said justice has finally been served for the victims who have been haunted by the terror incident for the past 12 years and added that the BJP would continue to stand by them.
Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has "adopted a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism", Reddy claimed that the BJP’s 11 years in power at the Centre have largely "remained free of major terror attacks".
He added that all political parties must remember not to "encourage appeasement politics" in a democracy.
The Union Minister also appreciated the police personnel who investigated the Dilsukhnagar blasts case.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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