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Journalism of Courage
Eleven years after the twin bomb blasts at Gokul Chat eatery and Lumbini Park in Hyderabad on August 25, 2007, a special court Tuesday found two of the seven accused in the case guilty. The quantum of sentence will be delivered next Monday. Two persons were acquitted in the case. Three persons including the mastermind Riyaz Bhatkal are absconding.
G Mohan Reddy, father of Sadhashiva Reddy, a design engineer who was crippled by the bomb blast at Gokul Chat, said he was disappointed and angry that two of the four accused are acquitted. “All of the accused should undergo that same hell that my son is suffering. He was 23 then and a brilliant engineer. Now he has to be cared for like a new born baby because his right side is paralysed, he cannot speak and cannot do anything on his own. Justice has not been done yet,’’ Reddy said.
A special NIA court today convicted Anique Syed Akbar Ismail Choudhary for conspiring and planting the bombs at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat eatery at Koti. The court acquitted Mohammed Sadiq and Ansar Ahmed as the prosecution could not prove that they were also involved in planting the bombs at the two locations, NIA’s Special Public Prosecutor K Surender said. The court may give its verdict on absconding Amir Raza, the fifth person accused of giving shelter to Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal after the blasts, next Monday.
On April 8, 2014, the court of IInd Metropolitan Session Judge (MSJ) framed charges against the four accused. Due to security reasons, a special court was set up in the Cherlapally Jail where the four accused were lodged. The court was supposed to deliver the verdict on August 27 but postponed it for today. Immediately after arriving at the court today morning, the judge delivered the verdict.
Two blasts occurred at the famous Gokul Chat eatery at Koti and at the laser show auditorium at Lumbini Park at 7:45 pm on August 25, 2007. While 32 people died at Gokul Chat, ten persons died at Lumbini Park. More than 50 were injured in the two blasts. An unexploded bomb was recovered from Dilsukhnagar area by police the same night. While the Counter Intelligence Cell of then Andhra Pradesh Police was investigating the case, the Anti-Terrorist Squad of Mumbai Police arrested four suspected members of Indian Mujahideen — Mohammed Sadiq, Anique Syed, Akbar Ismail Choudhary and Ansar Ahmed — for their involvement in planting the bombs. The CI Cell filed three chargesheets against them. They were charged under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and Explosive Substances Act. Three others accused the case including Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal and Amir Raza remained absconding.
The four members of the outlawed Indian Mujahideen were arrested by Mumbai Police in connection with another case but during investigation, they revealed that they were also involved in the Hyderabad blasts. The four were brought to Hyderabad in February 2009. The chargesheet states that they confessed their involvement in the twin blasts stating that they carried it out to take revenge for the blast at Mecca masjid on May 18, 2007. The chargesheet states that Riyaz Bhatkal was the mastermind who instigated the others to take revenge. While Riyaz Bhatkal planted the bomb at Gokul Chat eatery, Anique placed the bomb at Lumbini Park. The third bomb which did not explode was placed by Akbar Choudhary.
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