For the first time in India, banned Indian Mujahideen cadres were convicted in a terror case by special NIA court in Hyderabad. It convicted dreaded terrorist Mohammed Ahmed Siddibapa alias Yasin Bhatkal and four others for being involved in 2013 twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar which had claimed 18 lives and 131 were injured.
They were convicted under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Besides Bhatkal, the others convicted were Asadullah Akthar of Uttar Pradesh, Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas of Pakistan, Tahseen Akhthar of Bihar and Aizaz Shaik of Maharashtra. All of them are in judicial custody.
The alleged key conspirator Riyaz Bhatkal, believed to be operating from Karachi, is still at large. The court will announce the sentences for all the accused on December 19.The final arguments in the case concerning the attack were concluded last month during which 157 witnesses were examined. Trial in the case had begun on August 24 last year.
According to NIA’s charge, The main operative of the module, Riyaz Bhatkal, who is named as the first accused in the case, had allegedly directed his associates Asadullah Akhtar and Waqas to find a place in Mangalore to be used as a hide-out for explosive materials sent by him, it had alleged.
The role of Yasin Bhatkal in the planning, procurement of explosives and harbouring of Asadullah Akhthar after the incident, was also unearthed by the NIA, The NIA investigation has brought to evidence all the financial help received by the accused from abroad. The NIA also said it learnt that the miscreants, after procuring the explosive materials to Hyderabad, had conducted a test blast in a hillock near Abdullapurmet in Hyderabad.
The main feature of the conspiracy was that the accused were communicating through the Internet, chatting with each other throughout the planning, finding suitable hideouts, purchasing materials for the bombs, until the final escape. They were also found to have used proxy servers to hide their identity.
