Hyderabad twin bombing case: Court convicts Aneeq, Ismail, acquits 2 others

Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions court today convicted Aneeq Shafeeq Sayeed and Ismail Chaudhary and acquitted two others in the twin bomb blasts case at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park in Hyderabad, in 2007. The blast had claimed 44 lives and left 68 injured.

The Sessions Court Judge T Srinivas Rao had postponed the judgment in the case to September 4 after a hearing on August 27. 

The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of Telangana police had investigated the case and arrested five accused, who were allegedly found to be Indian Mujahideen operatives. The agency had filed four charge sheets against them and named two other absconding accused Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal.

Those arrested--Mohammed Akbar Ismail Chowdhari, Aneeq Shafique Sayeed, Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash, Mohammed Sadiq Israr Ahmed Shaik and Tarik Anjum, were produced before the court on August 27 through video-conferencing from Cherlapalli central prison, where they are currently lodged.

In June, the trial against the five accused in the case was shifted to a court hall in Cherlapalli central prison from Nampally court complex.

The accused were charged under Section 302 (murder) and other provisions of the IPC and the Explosive Substances Act in connection with the twin blasts on August 25, 2007. In fact, an unexploded bomb was found under a bridge at Dilsuknagar area on that D-day.

According to the prosecution, Aneeq Shafique Sayeed allegedly planted the bomb at Lumbini Park while Riyaz Bhatkal planted the bomb at Gokul Chat while the unexploded bomb was planted by Ismail Chowdhari.

Tarik Anjum was accused of giving shelter to the other accused after the blasts.

The near-simultaneous blasts at the popular eatery Gokul Chat killed 32 people and left 47 injured, while 12 others died and 21 were injured at the open air theatre at Lumbini Park, metres away from the State secretariat.
 

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