Verdict on Hyderabad twin bomb blasts to be announced today

The Metropolitan Session Judges (MSJ) court is set to deliver its verdict on the Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park twin bomb blast case on Tuesday. The Hyderabad twin blasts had rocked Hyderabad in 2007, claiming 44 lives and leaving more than 68 injured. Earlier on August 27, Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge T Srinivas Rao had postponed the verdict to September 4 (today) due to critical nature of the case.

The arrested five accused – all alleged Indian Mujahideen members – Mohammed Akbar Ismail Chowdhari, Tarik Anjum, Mohammed Sadiq Israr Ahmed Shaik, Aneeq Shafique Sayeed, and Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash were produced before the court on August 27 via video conferencing from the Cherlapally Central Prison as the court heard their cases.

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The Telangana Police’s Counter Intelligence (CI) wing had arrested the five accused after thoroughly investigating the case and had filed four charge sheets against the five. They had also named two other alleged Mujahideen operators, Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal, who are currently on a run.

All the accused were charged under the section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other relevant sections of Explosive Substances Act in connection to the 2007 Hyderabad Twin Blasts.

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Among the accused, Riyaz Bhatkal and Aneeq Shafique Sayeed planted the explosives at the Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park respectively and one exploded bomb which was found near a bridge at Dilsuknagar area, while Tarik Anjum is accused of providing shelter and accommodation to the other accused following the twin blasts in Hyderabad.

The 2007 Hyderabad twin bomb blasts happened at a popular eatery Gokul Chat that killed as many as 32 people and left 47 injured, while the blast at the open theatre at the Lumbini Park killed 12 and left 21 injured.

(With inputs from agencies)