Hyderabad: A metropolitan court here on Tuesday convicted two ‘Indian Mujahideen’ operatives of murder and terrorism for the 2007 Hyderabad blasts where two powerful explosions ripped through a popular eatery and an open air theatre, killing 44 people and wounding 68, prosecutors said.
Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge (in- charge) T Srinivas Rao pronounced Aneeq Shafique Sayeed and Mohammed Akbar Ismail Chowdhari guilty in the 11-year-old case, but acquitted two other accused Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash and Mohammed Sadiq Israr Ahmed Shaik for want of evidence.
The prosecution has now decided to seek capital punishment for the convicts. All the four are natives of Maharashtra.
The quantum of punishment as also the judgement on the fifth accused Tarik Anjum, accused of harbouring the perpetrators in New Delhi and other places, will be pronounced on Monday. “The prosecution proved the case against Aneeq Shafique Sayeed and Mohammed Akbar Ismail Chowdhari and they were convicted. The quantum of sentence against them will be pronounced next Monday,” Special Public Prosecutor C Seshu Reddy told reporters after the verdict was pronounced inside a special courtroom at Cherlapalli Central Prison.
The courtroom was out of bounds for media. The detailed judgement is likely to be available in 2-3 days, Reddy, who represented the counter-intelligence wing of the Telangana Police that probed the case, said.
Two synchronised blasts had rocket Gokul Chaat, a popular eatery, killing 32 people and leaving 47 injured, and an open air theatre in Lumbini Park close to the state secretariat where 12 people died and 21 wounded. Three other accused including IM founder Riyaz Bhatkal, his brother Iqbal, and Amir Reza Khan are absconding.
The Bhatkal brothers of Karnataka are believed to have taken shelter in Pakistan. “Three others are absconding and we will proceed with the case against them once they are caught,” Reddy said.
Barring Anjum, all seven were charged with involvement in the two blasts as also the recovery of an unexploded bomb from under a foot overbridge in Dilsukh Nagar area.
The survivors and family members of the victims, meanwhile, sought capital punishment for the perpetrators. (PTI)
