Hyd twin blasts case: Two get death, one life term

A metropolitan court here sentenced two terrorists convicted in the 2007 twin blasts case to death and another to life imprisonment on Monday.

Two powerful explosions had ripped through a popular eatery and an open air theatre here on August 25, 2007, killing 44 people and wounding 68.

On September 4, Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge (in-charge) T Srinivas Rao had pronounced Aneeq Shafique Sayeed and Mohammed Akbar Ismail Chowdhari guilty in the 11-year-old case, but acquitted Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash and Mohammed Sadiq Israr Ahmed Shaik for want of enough evidence.

The court convicted the fifth accused Tarik Anjum, accused of harbouring the perpetrators in New Delhi and other places, on Monday and handed down life imprisonment to him.

Two synchronised blasts had rocked 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 named in the chargesheets filed by police, including 'Indian Mujahideen' 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.