Mecca Masjid Blast: Owaisi condemns NIA over acquittals

All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Moday blamed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for the acquittal of the five accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case.

"This whole prosecution done by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was basically to ensure that all accused are acquitted by courts. I am not complaining about the courts as it is for the prosecution to prove, because this is not a small crime," said Asaduddin Owaisi on the same.

He went on to say that terrorism should not be given to terrorism and on to blame Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the acquittal.

Earlier in the day, a special NIA court at Nampally acquitted five accused in the over a decade-long case, citing lack of evidence against them.

Out of a total of 10 accused named in the case, only five faced trial, as one died while others are still absconding.

The blast, which took place on May 18, 2007 at the Hyderabad mosque during Friday prayers, had killed eight people and left 58 injured. It was allegedly carried out by a group of right-wing terrorists.