Bhatkal, 4 others convicted for 2013 Hyderabad blasts

Hyderabad: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Tuesday convicted Indian Mujahideen operative Yasin Bhatkal and four others for their involvement in the Dilsukhnagar twin blasts.

Eighteen people were killed and more than 130 were injured in the twin blasts that rocked Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad on February 21, 2013.

This is the first conviction of banned Indian Mujahideen cadres in a terror case.

The five were convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for murder, waging war against the country, conspiracy, attempt to murder and other criminal charges.

The judge will announce the sentences for all the accused on December 19, when the court will hear the argument of the defence counsel for the last time.

Public prosecutor V. Surender Rao said the NIA would seek capital punishment for all the convicts. “The minimum sentence is life imprisonment and the maximum punishment is death sentence. Considering the heinous nature of the crime, we will be seeking capital punishment for the culprits,” Mr Rao said.

Yasin Bhatkal alias Mohammed Ahmed Siddibappa from Karnataka, Asadullah Akhtar from Uttar Pradesh, Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas from Pakistan, Tahseen Akhthar from Bihar and Aizaz Shaik from Maharashtra are those convicted. All of them are in judicial remand in Cherlapally Jail, where the special court was set up for the trial. The key conspirator in the case, Riyaz Bhatkal, is still absconding.

The public prosecutor said that all the charges slapped against the five men have been proven in court and the court has found them guilty.

“After finding them guilty, the court has given them a chance to argue on Monday regarding the punishment. After the argument by both sides (defence and prosecution), the court will decide on the quantum of punishment on Monday,” Mr Rao said. NIA director-general Sharad Kumar called the agency’s investigation “wonderful”.

“It was a wonderful investigation carried out by the team in which every evidence was examined minutely. This is the first-ever conviction of Indian Mujahideen cadres and we will be appealing for maximum punishment for the culprits,” he said.

During the investigation, a total of 440 witnesses were examined and 251 documents and 300 material objects seized. Extensive cyber forensic evidence was gathered and placed on record as evidence.