Hyderabad twin blast case: Two convicts sentenced to death, 1 awarded life imprisonment

A Hyderabad court on September 10 awarded death sentence to two Indian Mujahideen operatives Anik Shafique Syeed and Mohammed Akbar Ismail Chowdhari convicted in the Hyderabad twin blasts case of August 2007 which nearly killed 44 persons and injured 50 others.

Judgment was pronounced by a special court in the Cherlapally Central Prison in the city.

Tarik Anjum, third convict in the case was sentenced to life imprisonment by T. Srinivas Rao, second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Court Judge (in-charge).

Anjum was convicted for harbouring the perpetrators of the blasts, including Indian Mujahideen chief Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother Iqbal Bhatkal, in New Delhi. Delhi Police also booked a case of harbouring against Anjum after his arrest in 2011.

Public prosecutor K Surender told media soon after the judgment was pronounced that two other accused in the same case Mohammad Sadiq Israr and Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash were acquitted for want of enough evidence.

A total of eight people were charge-sheeted in the case. The other three accused Riyaz Bhatal, Iqbal Bhatkal and Amir Riza Khan are still absconding.

Over 170 witnesses were examined and cross-examined during the trial.