Lumbini Park blast verdict on August 27

​Hyderabad: The Metropolitan Session Judge (MSJ) court will deliver the verdict on August 27 on Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat blasts which rocked Hyderabad on August 25, 2007.

The blasts left a scar on the conscience of the residents of Hyderabad as the explosions had left 10 dead at a laser show in Lumbini Park and 32 at Gokul Chat Bhandar in Koti. As many as 50 people were injured in the tragedy.

The prosecution listed 13 persons as accused of whom four are in judicial custody. They are: Md Sadiq Issar Ahmad Shaik, Aniq Shafique Sayeed, Mohammad Akbar Ismail Chowdari and Ansar Ahmed.

Four accused are absconding. They are: Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal, Aamir Raza Khan, Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash. Those who have been acquitted were: Md Abdul Kaleem, Md Abdul Raoof, Shujauddin, Md Faseehuddin and Md Sohail.

The Indian Mujahideen (IM) activists are suspected to have planted the improvised explosive devices (IED) at Lumbini Park which went off when the visitors were witnessing a laser show. Many victims were students from Maharashtra who had come on an industrial tour to the city.

Another IED went off at the crowded Gokul Chat Bhandar in Koti. The bomb was hidden in a bag and left on an ice cream machine by one of the accused, suspected to be Riyaz Bhatkal. The culprit fled from the location.

The third IED, which was planted on the foot-over-bridge at Dilsukhnagar, was defused by the police. The serial blasts created panic among the residents of the city.

The case was investigated by Counter Intelligence sleuths which was later transferred to National Investigative Agency (NIA). They were charged under section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the IPC and sections of Explosive substances Act.

The trials conducted in Nampally Court Complex which were later shifted to Cherlapally Central Prison due to security considerations.