The Telangana High Court has upheld the death sentence of five convicts in the Dilsukhnagar blasts case. The High Court rejected the appeals filed by the five accused. The five accused were sentenced to death by the NIA court in 2016, and all of them had moved the High Court to quash the NIA court’s verdict. The High Court upheld the verdict of the NIA special court.
On February 21, 2013, the first blast took place at 7 pm at bus stop number 107 in Dilsukh Nagar, which falls under the jurisdiction of Malakpet police station. A few minutes later, the second blast took place at A-1 Mirchi Center near Konark Theater. A total of 18 people were killed and 131 injured in these blasts. Among the injured were a woman and her unborn child.
The Saroor Nagar police registered a case and started an investigation at that time. While the state government wanted to form a special investigation team into the blasts, the National Investigation Agency stepped in on the orders of the Union Home Ministry. These two cases registered in Hyderabad were transferred to the NIA.
The NIA, which started the investigation, identified the Indian Mujahideen terrorist organization as the perpetrators of these blasts. As part of the investigation, Ahmed Siddibappa Jarrar alias Yasin Bhatkal and Abdullah Akhtar alias Haddi were arrested near the Indo-Nepal border in 2013. During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime.
According to the information given by the two, Tahseen Akhtar from Bihar and Zia ur Rehman from Pakistan were found to be in Rajasthan in May 2014. They were arrested by the Delhi Police. Along with them, the NIA has also arrested Aziz Sheikh from Pune. During the interrogation of the accused, the key mastermind of the blasts was identified as Mohammed Riyaz Ali Riyaz Baktal.
The NIA has identified that Riyaz Baktal from Baktal, Karnataka is still hiding in Pakistan. A red corner notice has also been issued against him. However, the NIA, which investigated the incident, filed 3 charge sheets against six accused in the NIA special court. It has identified that there are cases against the accused in the past in connection with terrorist activities.
The trial of the remaining five accused, except the main accused Riyaz Baktal, continued in the NIA special court in 2015. As part of the investigation, 157 witnesses were examined. The NIA submitted the evidence collected from them to the court. On December 13, 2016, it found five accused guilty.
On December 19, 2016, the NIA special court sentenced them to death along with imprisonment and fines. The accused approached the Telangana High Court the same year against the NIA court’s verdict. Since then, the High Court has been hearing the petition of the accused. All the accused are currently serving their sentences in various jails. Today, the High Court has given its final verdict on this and dismissed the appeal filed by them.