Rewind 2018: 11-year-old blast cases found closure in court

Hyderabad: The long-winding trials into the two bomb blast cases at Macca Masjid and Gokul Chat-Lumbini Park ended this year in contrasting styles. Both the blasts had occurred in 2007 and were investigated by the National Investigating Agency.

The special court declared all five accused in the Macca Masjid blast case non-guilty. There was a measure of controversy after judge K. Ravinder Reddy resigned barely hours after acquitting Swami Aseemanand, Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma, Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai and Rajendra Chowdhary. 

While Mr Ravinder Reddy cited personal reasons and that his resignation had nothing to do with the case, many found it intriguing. MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, “Judge who gave acquittal to all accused in Macca Masjid Blast resigns, very intriguing and I am surprised with the Lordship decision (sic).”

The blast, triggered by a remote control device, had claimed nine lives and left 50 injured. The verdict left the victims’ families sorely disappointed.

In the Gokul Chat-Lumbini Park blast cases, the judgment brought cheer to the victims’ families and the survivors. Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge T. Srinivasa Rao sentenced Indian Mujahideen operatives Md Ismail Chowdhari and Aneeq Shafique Sayeed to death and Mohammad Tareeq Anjum to life in jail. Mohammad Sadiq Israr and Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash were acquitted.

A total of 34 people died in the Gokul Chat blast and 10 were killed in the explosion at Lumbini Park. The two blasts took place within minutes of each other on August 25, 2007.

Another sensation case also achieved completion with the conviction of was gangster Bhanu Kiran. The Metropolitan Session’s Court sentenced him to life for the murder of  faction leader Maddelacheruvu Suri in a car in the city on January 3, 2011. Suri was the accused in the killing of TD MLA Paritala Ravi on January 24, 2004. The court also sentenced his aide Manmohan Singh to five years.