The Telangana High Court on Tuesday upheld the death penalty awarded to five senior operatives of the banned terror outfit, Indian Mujahideen, involved in the 2013 Hyderabad twin bomb blasts, which claimed 18 lives and left 131 people injured.
A division bench of the High Court dismissed the appeals filed by the convicts, affirming the verdict of the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court that had sentenced them to death in December 2016.
The convicts – Yasin Bhatkal, Zia-ur-Rehman alias Waqas, Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, Tehseen Akhtar and Aizaz Shaikh – were found guilty of carrying out the coordinated bomb blasts on February 21, 2013, in the bustling Dilsukhnagar area of Hyderabad.
The court held that the trial court’s judgment was sound and based on strong evidence. The bench noted that the act was “rarest of the rare” and warranted the maximum punishment under the law.
The NIA court had earlier convicted all five under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Following the High Court’s decision, the convicts still have the option to approach the Supreme Court.
The twin explosions occurred within seconds of each other near a crowded bus stop and a popular snack shop in Dilsukhnagar. Security across key locations in Hyderabad was stepped up following the verdict.
