NIA Special Court Verdict In Gokul Chat Blast Case On September 4

HYDERABAD: A court will deliver on September 4 judgement in the 2007 Hyderabad twin bomb blasts which had claimed 42 lives.

The Second Metropolitan Sessions Court will deliver the judgement, a lawyer told reporters outside the Nampally Criminal Court complex on Monday.

All four accused were produced before the court through video conferencing from Cherlapalli Central Prison on the city's outskirts where they are lodged.

The judge conducted the final hearing on Monday.

The near simultaneous bomb blasts at Gokul Chat, a popular eatery, and at Lumbini Park, near the State Secretariat, claimed 42 lives and injured over 50 on August 25, 2007. An unexploded bomb was also recovered under a foot-over bridge at Dilsukhnagar.

The alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives -- Mohammed Sadiq Ahmed Sheikh, Anique Shafiq Syed, Mohammed Sadiq, Akbar Ismail Choudhary and Ansar Ahmed Badhsah Sheikh -- are lodged in the Cherlapalli prison.

The trial against them was shifted to a court hall located in the premises of the prison in June 2018 on security grounds.

The accused were arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in October 2008. Three other accused including IM Chief Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother Iqbal Bhatkal still remain at large.

The case was initially investigated by the Andhra Pradesh Police and following bifurcation of the state it was handed over to the Counter Intelligence wing of Telangana Police.

Three chargesheets were filed against the accused. In 2014, the court framed charges against them. They were charged with murder and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Explosive Substances Act.

Eleven years after twin bomb blasts at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park in Hyderabad claimed 42 lives and left over 50 injured, the NIA special court in Nampally, Hyderabad was to deliver the judgement in the case on Monday.

However, after the judge hearing the case postponed the verdict to September 4.

The trial against four accused in the case was shifted to a court hall located in the premises of Cherlapalli Central Prison in Hyderabad 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 on Saturday observed the 11th anniversary of the twin blasts that took place on August 25, 2007.

Also Read:11th Anniversary Of Gokul Chat, Lumbini Park Blast

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

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 in Hyderabad.

The alleged 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.