India convicts two over 2007 Hyderabad blasts
September 4, 2018
A court in southern India convicted two men on Tuesday over the 2007 bomb blasts in Hyderabad that killed 44 people and injured more than 50 others.
The judge found Aneeq Shafique Sayeed and Mohammed Akbar Ismail Choudhury — both alleged members of the banned Indian Mujahideen Islamist militant group — guilty of committing the attacks, a prosecution lawyer cited by the AFP news agency said. The court is due to sentence the men next week.
"We have been waiting for this day for so many years," local shop owner Srinivas Kumar told The Times of India. "Finally, the families of the deceased souls can rest in peace."
Protracted case
The ruling comes more than a decade after the twin attacks shook the southern Indian city on August 25, 2007. The first bomb went off at a packed laser show auditorium at Hyderabad's Lumbini Park, followed minutes later by an explosion at the Gokul Chat eatery in another part of the city. A third, unexploded bomb was later discovered by police.
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Tuesday's ruling also saw two other defendants acquitted, while a decision on a third man, who is accused of sheltering the bombers from police, is expected in the coming days. Police are still searching for three suspects sought in connection with the attacks, including alleged mastermind Riyaz Bhatkal.
The Indian Mujahideen is a militant group that has been linked to the Pakistan-based Islamist rebel group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Indian Mujahideen was added to the US' list of blacklisted terrorist organizations in 2011, and is believed to have carried out several deadly bombings in India over the past 15 years.
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