In a significant ruling on Tuesday, the Telangana High Court confirmed the death sentences of five senior operatives of the banned terrorist group Indian Mujahideen for their roles in the 2013 Hyderabad bomb blasts. The blasts, which occurred in the busy shopping area of Dilsukhnagar on February 21, 2013, resulted in 18 fatalities and left 131 injured.
The bench, consisting of Justice K Lakhshman and Justice P Sree Sudha, rejected the criminal revision appeal filed by the convicts, thereby upholding the judgment previously delivered by the NIA court. “The penalty imposed by the trial court is confirmed,” declared the bench, affirming the severe consequences faced by the accused for their involvement in such a heinous act.
Among the convicts are key figures in the Indian Mujahideen, including co-founder Mohd Ahmed Sidibapa, better known by his alias Yasin Bhatkal, and Pakistani national Zia-ur-Rahman, also known as Waqas. Other members sentenced include Asadullah Akhtar, Tahaseen Akhtar, and Ajaz Shaikh, who were all pivotal participants in the planning and execution of the deadly attack.
The NIA court had initially sentenced the group on December 13, 2016, after thorough investigations linked them directly to the bombings. The decision by the Telangana High Court marks a closure for many who were affected by the tragedy and reinforces the judiciary’s stance against terrorism.
