Judgement in 2007 Hyderabad twin bomb blasts case tomorrow

Eleven years after twin bomb blasts at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park here claimed 42 lives and left over 50 injured, a court here will deliver the judgement in the case tomorrow.

The trial against four accused in the case was shifted to a court hall located in the premises of Cherlapalli Central Prison here from a court located in Nampally court complex in June this year.

On August 7, after completion of arguments and counter arguments, Sessions Judge Srinivas Rao had posted the case for judgement on August 27.

Family members and relatives of the victims yesterday observed the 11th anniversary of the twin blasts that took place on August 25, 2007.

The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of Telangana Police had investigated the case and filed three charge sheet against the accused, some of whom are absconding.

In August 2013, the second Metropolitan Sessions Judge court had framed charges against Aneeq Shafiq Syed, Mohammed Sadiq, Akbar Ismail Choudhary and Ansar Ahmed Badhsah Sheikh - all alleged Indian Mujahideen operatives.

The accused were charged under section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the IPC and sections of Explosive Substances Act in connection with the twin blasts and also with regard to recovery of an unexploded bomb that was found under a foot overbridge at Dilsuknagar area here.

The alleged IM men are among those arrested by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in October 2008 and later taken into custody by the Gujarat Police.

The four are currently lodged in the Cherlapalli Central Prison.

Nearly 170 witnesses were examined and cross-examined during the trial.

The blast at a popular eatery, Gokul Chat, killed 32 people, while 10 more died at the open air theatre at Lumbini Park, a few metres from the state Secretariat.

More than 50 people were injured in the near-simultaneous blasts.