Mecca Masjid Blast Verdict: All 10 accused acquitted by special NIA court over lack of evidence
Hyderabad, April 16: Today all ten accused in the Mecca Masjid blast case were acquitted by the special NIA court in Hyderabad as no evidence was presented against the accused. Mecca Masjid blast claimed around 9 lives and injured more than 50, that took place on 18th May 2007.
A special National Investigation Agency court acquitted all accused due to lack of evidence in the sensational Mecca Masjid attack which was allegedly carried out by a group of right-wing terrorists 11 years ago.
Initially, the case was investigated by the local police and then the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which filed a charge sheet. Afterwards, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case in 2011.
In all 10 persons allegedly belonging to right-wing organizations were named as accused in the case. However, only five of them -- Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma, Swami Aseemanand alias Naba Kumar Sarkar, Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai and Rajendra Chowdhary - were arrested and faced trial in the case. Two other accused -- Sandeep V Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra -- are absconding while another accused Sunil Joshi died. Investigations were continuing against two other accused.
Earlier associated with the RSS, he is considered an ideologue of Abhinav Bharat, an extremist organisation allegedly involved in the Malegaon and Ajmer blasts.
On March 8 , 2017, a National Investigation Agency Special Court in Jaipur in Rajasthan held three persons guilty in the 2007 Ajmer blast case but acquitted Aseemanand and six others. In the last week of March, the Fourth Metropolitan Sessions court in Hyderabad granted him conditional bail and directed him to furnish two sureties of Rs 50,000 each and to not leave the city without prior permission.