Telangana News

Challenging the death penalty awarded by the NIA court, Dilsukhnagar blasts convicts appealed to the Hyderabad High Court, saying that NIA had failed to establish the link of Indian Mujahiddeen, a banned terror outfit, in the blasts. 

5 key operatives of IM, including its co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and a Pakistani national, Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas, Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, Tahaseen Akhtar alias Monu and Ajaz Shaikh, were awarded the death penalty, for the 2013 blasts which claimed 18 lives and left more than 100 injured.

NIA court claimed that, IM had hatched a conspiracy to wage war against India and decided to carry out bomb blasts in Hyderabad to create terror. The appellants in their appeal relied on the ground which was pointed out by the NIA court judge.

The judge had said that, “the question that fails for my determination is does the prosecution prove the accused No 2 to 6 along with absconding accused No 1 (Yasin Bhatkal) during the period between 2010 to 2013 February were members of the unlawful association namely Indian Mujahideen which has been declared as unlawful by notification under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.”

The judge further noted that the prosecution had not produced any Centre issued notification, under Section 3 of the Act 1967. Meanwhile the NIA court referred the case to the Hyderabad High Court for confirmation of the death sentence.