Telangana HC upholds death sentences of all five convicts in 2013 Dilsukhnagar bombings
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentences awarded to five convicts in the 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin bomb blasts case.
Through criminal appeals, the convicts had appealed to the high court to set aside the judgement pronounced by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court on December 13, of 2016. However, the division bench comprising Justice K Lakshman and Justice P Sree Sudha dismissed their appeal petitions.
The horrific twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar market on February 21, 2013 claimed 18 lives and left 130 others injured. The first blast took place near a bus stop and a little later the second explosion occurred at the Mirchi Centre shop in the locality.
The ministry of home affairs transferred the cases to the NIA after the FIRs were registered in two different police stations in the city. The central agency investigated the case and arrested several individuals, including Yasin Bhatkal, co-founder of the banned terrorist organization Indian Mujahideen.
Bhatkal was arrested near the Indo-Nepal border later in 2013. He is currently serving his sentence in Tihar jail. However, prime accused in the case, Mohd Riyaz alias Riyaz Bhaktal is still on the run.
In December 2016, the NIA Special Court had found all the five operatives of the Indian Mujahideen, Siddibappa Zarrar alias Yasin Bhatkal, Ajaz Shaikh, Zia Ur Rahman alias Waqas, Asadullah Akhtar and Mohammed Tahseen Akhtar alias Hassan, guilty of planning and executing the attacks and sentenced them to death.
