2 sentenced to death for 2007 Hyderabad blasts

Hyderabad: The two men found guilty of setting off the two blasts that killed 44 persons at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park here in 2007 were sentenced to death on Monday. Another accused was given life imprisonment.

The sentences were read out by second additional metropolitan sessions court in-charge judge T Srinivas Rao at the Cherlapally central prison.

The court sentenced Mohammed Akbar Ismail Choudhary and Aneeq Shafique Sayeed to death. They were convicted on September 4, 11 years after the blasts took place.

Tariq Anjum, who was accused of harbouring the convicts in Delhi and other places before and after the blasts, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Special public prosecutor K. Surender told this newspaper: “The court found that Aneeq and Ismail were guilty of the charges framed by the prosecution of conspiring to form a group and planting bombs. Tariq has been found guilty of harbouring the accused before and after the blasts. The first two were given death punishment and a penalty of Rs 10,000 for each offence and Tariq was given life imprisonment.”

The two blasts that occurred in a span of five minutes at the eatery and the amusement park on the evening of August 25, 2007, killed 44 people and left about 68 persons injured.

According to the prosecution, the bomb planted by Aneeq at Lumbini Park exploded at 7.40 pm and the bomb planted by Ismail at Gokul Chat exploded five minutes later. Another bomb planted under the foot-overbridge at Saroornagar did not explode.

Aneeq and Ismail were sentenced to life imprisonment in the case of the unexploded bomb recovered at Dilsukhnagar under the foot-overbridge. However, as the death penalty is the highest punishment,” said Challa Seshu Reddy, the special public prosecutor of Counter Intelligence Cell.

The first charge sheet in the case was filed on May 16, 2009, and a month later, two supplementary charge sheets were filed in the court by the Counter Intelligence Cell. The prosecution questioned 159 witnesses in the case. Three other accused, Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother Iqbal Bhatkal, and Amir Reza Khan are still absconding.

“As the accused are still absconding, the court said that they will face trial after they are caught,” said Mr Surender.

Aneeq and Choudhary were found guilty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code., including murder, and also under the Explosive Substances Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (PDPPA).

Defence counsel Gandham Gurumurthy said the defence will challenge the judgment in the case of all three once the judgment copy is received.

Responding to a query, he said: “The accused have the right to challenge the judgment in the higher courts and can also go for Presidential pardon.”